Hendon's two-month unbeaten run in the Ryman League Premier Division came to a disappointing end with a 2-1 defeat at Basingstoke Town on Saturday. The victory, only Basingstoke's second since the end of November in all competitions, lifted them above Hendon, who dropped 4 spots to 17th in the table.

Paul Towler was unavailable, so Micky Woolner came into the starting line-up, the only change from the team which had scored 5 against Hayes in midweek. Byron Bubb came onto the subs' bench, alongside Mark Burgess and Ricci Crace.

The match was played in very difficult conditions. A hailstorm 25 minutes before kick-off made the surface very slick and a strong wind blowing straight down the pitch added to the players' problems.

Maybe this was the reason the first half was such a scrappy, niggly affair. There were just 3 goal attempts of note in the 45 minutes. In the 22nd minute, Tim Sills - back to haunt Hendon from a month's loan at Kingstonian - rose to meet a cross from from Matt Hayfield but directed his near-post header wide of the post.

he Greens' only chance of the half was a gilt-edged one. After 37 minutes, Eugene Ofori dispossessed Jason Bristow on the edge of the Basingstoke penalty area. He had only Scott Tarr to beat, but the goalkeeper was off line quickly and Ofori had few options. He dithered and his tentative side-foot was palmed aside by Tarr.

In stoppage time, a curled free-kick from the edge of the Hendon penalty area was knocked out for a corner by David Hook, although the goalkeeper appeared to have been taken by surprise as the ball floated past a knot of players.

Hendon should have taken the lead after 57 minutes. Woolner curled in a free-kick which was punched clear by Don Forbes, the Camrose Blues' left-back. After a moment's hesitation - he probably was thinking much the same as everybody else in the ground "why on earth did he handle the ball when he could have headed it" - referee Mr M Downey (Middlesex) pointed to the penalty spot.

He was immediately surrounded by a couple of Basingstoke players who were protesting the decision - as they did with every aerial challenge all afternoon - but the aim this time was to delay the spot-kick and put the taker off. After a brief search, the penalty spot was found, although it was in a badly churned part of the area.

As Jon-Barrie Bates was about to take the kick, Paul Wilkinson shouted out, "Ref, the ball is not on the spot!" Mr Downey told Bates to take the kick and he did. Unfortunately, he changed his mind in mid-run-up and side-footed the ball wide of the of the post, with Tarr guessing correctly. He said afterwards that he felt sure he would have saved the kick if it had been going in.

The miss turned the game. Basingstoke gained confidence from the let-off and started to attack with more purpose. Hendon, whose passing had already been much less positive than in previous games, became even more tentative. Little moves that have gained space in previous weeks were read and the ball taken away.

Five minutes after the penalty miss Basingstoke took the lead with a set-piece move that has been a thorn in Hendon sides for half a decade. A corner to the far post from Stuart Girdler was met by a header from SILLS and the ball ended up in the net.

Ofori and Martin Randall were sacrificed in favour of Crace and Bubb, but the two substitutes could not get the better of the Basingstoke back-line. Dale Binns, who had come close with a couple of shots, had another chance after 78 minutes, when he shot low across Tarr. The goalkeeper pushed the ball to one side, but Crace was a step slow to react and having been favourite to reach the rebound, the chance was gone.

In the 82nd minute, Bates was cautioned for a foul on Hayward 10 yards from the edge of the Hendon penalty area. Tom Foster made a dummy run down the right wing as Hayward curled the ball to the far post. This time is was Jason EATON who had the header, but the result was the same, a Basingstoke goal.

In stoppage time, Hendon scored the goal of the game. A ball from Bubb was well controlled by Crace on his chest at the edge of the penalty area. He spun around Bristow and struck a fine shot actoss Tarr into the bottom corner. There was still time for Binns to fire over the bar with a 20-yard volley, but a point for Hendon would hardly have been deserved.

"The first was very niggly," admitted disappointed manager Dave Anderson. "We have to be better with our application and discipline in games like this. Today we were very poor and too many players had bad games."