Hendon reached the Middlesex Senior Cup Final with a battling 1-0 defeat of Foresters Essex Senior League club Enfield Town at LOOT Stadium on Tuesday night.

If your taste in football is slick passing, disciplined tackling and clinical finishing, then this was horrible entertainment; if you prefer total commitment, passion, end-to-end swings in play and controversy, then this was a perfect evening.

Enfield Town, formed in summer 2001 and playing in a feeder league to the Ryman League, are effectively 4 divisions below Hendon. But their line-up contained 8 players with Ryman League Premier Division experience, including 2 who have played in the Conference, so their status is entirely down to their newness and they would probably hold their own in the Ryman League Division 1 or 2.

Following Saturday's defeat against Canvey Island, Hendon brought in Eugene Ofori and Byron Bubb in place of Leon Woodruffe and Dale Binns, who dropped to the subs' bench.

Martin Randall's absence proved to be a massive factor because Hendon were crying out for a little bit of guile and experience up front. That being said, the Greens almost took the lead in the 3rd minute, when Bubb rattled the outside of Andy Hall's post.

Six minutes later, Hendon were denied a penalty when Bubb was put through by Steve Forbes. He knocked the ball past Hall but wide of the post. However, as the ball rolled slowly past Hall, Bubb was prevented from chasing it because the goalkeeper brought him down.

Referee Mr Danny Nemorin Noel, decided that it was no more than Hall's impetus which caused the contact so allowed play to continue. He waved aside further penalty claims when a drive from Paul Yates struck the outstretched arm of Matt Negus who was attempting to block the shot, deciding he could not get out of the ball's path.

Mr Nemorin Noel is a firm believer in diplomacy ahead of discipline, and he was determined to play advantage whenever he could. Unfortunately, far too many fouls for tackles from behind brought not even an obvious word of caution, let alone a card giving a minority of players the thought that they could lunge in with impunity.

Hendon created seven good openings in the first half, but failed to take any of them. Only Bubb with a curling free kick and a snapshot forced Hall into saves and neither were particularly difficult. Both Ricci Crace and Eugene Ofori had nights to forget in front of goal, wasting numerous opportunities. To sum up Hendon's first half futility, in the 28th minute, Jon-Barrie Bates attempted to drive a shot at goal from 25 yards, but a bobble meant he missed the ball altogether and - to add injury to insult - he went over his ankle.

Enfield Town created 2 clear-cut openings in the first half, but Danny Clarke side-footed a shot wide when it seemed almost easier to hit the target and Danny Alleyne went for power in a situation begging for placement.

Two minutes into the second half, Hendon had a great chance to open the scoring when Crace ran onto a pass from Ofori, had only Hall to beat, but panicked in front of goal and blasted the ball high over the bar. The two strikers' eagerness to score meant that all too often they made the same runs and ended up getting in each other's way.

Ofori became the second Hendon player to hit the Enfield Town woodwork. In the 49th minute, his 20-yard effort smacked off the base of the post, with Hall watching, confident that he would not need to make a save.

It was not all one-way traffic. Although Hendon created the greater number of chances, the bulk of really clear-cut openins went to Enfield Town and Paul Towler came to Hendon's rescue with two vital headers as Graeme Hall's physical presence was a big factor.

Binns came on for Bubb, but the game continued to swing from end to end. The tackles continued to fly in from all angles too, and Mr Nemorin Noel finally lost patience in the 64th minute, when he cautioned Bates.

This was followed by a caution for Bradley Brotherton in the 75th minute for a foul midway inside the Enfield Town half. Yates curled in the free-kick and with Enfield screaming for offside, Steve BUTLER headed the ball off Hall's hands and into the net.

Seven minutes later, the game exploded. Binns clipped David Allen's heel a couple of yards from the Enfield goal-line as the defender shielded a ball going out of play. Mr Nemorin Noel awarded a free kick and Binns trotted back out of the penalty area.

Or would have, had Allen not decided to attack him from behind with a vicious punch. Immediately a scrum developed and the referee jumped in as a peace-maker, pulling Binns - who was unable to defend himself as his shirt covered his face - to one side and inadvertently striking him on the head.

Graeme Hall and Binns were cautioned and Allen was sent off. Immediately, Enfield replaced the cationed Hall, but his replacement, Mike Henderson, introduced himself to the game by clattering into the back of Mark Cooper.

In the 86th minute, Ofori chasing a lost cause dispossessed Stuart Snowden, who panicked and pulled the Hendon striker down. Forbes stepped up to take the penalty, changed his mind as he struck the ball and thus gave Andy Hall every chance to make an easy save.

Although there were alarums and excursions as both ends in the minutes of stoppage time, Hendon were able to hang on.

Delighted manager Dave Anderson said, "It was not our greatest performance, but we had to match their fire. In fact it was probably our poorest performance in the competition so far, but we are in the Final and that is what matters."