Hendon came away from Leiston's Victory Road ground on Tuesday night wondering how they'd slipped to a third successive defeat, having created the better chances in an evenly fought match. A mixture of ill fortune and wasteful finishing was the true reason.

The visitors made two changes from Saturday's eight goal thriller, James Fisher replacing Carl McCluskey in the heart of defence, and Tony Taggart coming in at left back, meaning Chris Seeby switched to right back, and Brandon Horner sat on the bench, while the hosts made three changes from their 1-0 victory at Carshalton on Saturday.

The Greens, in their change strip of Orange shirts and black shorts, started brightly, the partnership already forming between experienced head Jefferson Louis and Wycombe loanee Junior Morias, and it was Louis who had the first chance, his header went straight at Shaun Phillips in the Leiston goal, when a yard either side would surely have opened the scoring. An even better opportunity followed, as Louis again found space in the penalty area despite the very physical attentions of the home defenders, and this time Phillips dived to his right to make a decent save.

Leiston then began to come into the game with a spell of three corners in quick succession, each of which were dealt with by the Hendon defence, who looked well up for the challenge and a lot more solid than they had done on Saturday. Junior Morias's looping overhead kick never troubled the goalkeeper as it landed on the roof of the net, and Jefferson Louis had another tame shot easily saved, but it was certainly Hendon in the ascendancy for the first fifteen minutes.

Leiston's main attacking threats would come from counter attacks, they were very quick to turn a Hendon free kick or corner into one of their own, and it was from one of these quick counters that Hendon were nearly undone, goalkeeper Charlie Horlock charging out of his penalty area and fouling the advancing attacker. Fortunately enough for Hendon the referee ruled that the player was going towards the corner flag rather than the goal, and produced a yellow card rather than a red one. Hendon defended the free kick well, and it was panic over for the time being, but it was a shaky moment for the young Wycombe loanee.

The best chance of the half came just five minutes before half time, Jefferson Louis again wriggling free of the constant wrestling match with Joe Jefford, and striking a shot from just inside the box that bounced off the face of the bar with Phillips well beaten. There was time for one more chance for Hendon before half time, Junior Morias almost getting on the end of a through ball, and the defender's slide tackle intervention just about clearing his own crossbar. The resultant corner was wasteful, but the referee blew up for half time before Leiston could mount another speedy counter attack.

If the first half had been 60-40 in Hendon's favour, the second half was definitely Leiston's, as their slick passing and quick movement caused Hendon a lot more problems after the break. Hendon again started the half well however, and when Louis was given a free kick for the constant holding by the defenders, Tony Taggart's effort clipped the wall and went over for a corner. The corner was whipped in to the front post and presented a golden opportunity for Michael Duberry, who couldn't keep his header down.

The Greens conceded a number of free kicks in the second half, and Hendon were given a warning on 58 minutes as Joe Francis cut inside from the left wing, beat three players and ended up on the right hand side of the box, his cross could not find an attacker. Just two minutes later came the decisive moment in the match, another fast moving attack saw Leiston win yet another free kick on the edge of the box. Captain Stuart Boardley curled it over the wall and it beat Horlock's despairing dive, right in the bottom corner, and Leiston were ahead courtesy of the skipper's 50th league goal for the club.

Leiston almost doubled their lead immediately, more good work from the impressive Francis down the left hand side led to a cross that was parried by Horlock, and the rebound headed over.

Hendon went in search of the equaliser and thought they had it after 65 minutes when Lee O'Leary's left footed curler looked to be heading for the bottom corner before hitting the foot of the post, again Phillips was a mere spectator, and Louis couldn't capitalise on the rebound. Louis then wastefully put a free kick well over the bar, and it began to sink in that it wasn’t going to be Hendon’s day.

To credit the players, they never gave up, and it was Morias's tenacity that got him to bye line to cross for Louis, who 9 times out of 10 would have headed home, this time though his header bounced the wrong side of the far post.

Gary McCann signalled his attacking intentions with 15 minutes left as Isaiah Rankin replaced O'Leary, and he immediately linked up with Morias, who tried to take on one too many defenders and ended up in a heap on the edge of the box, with no free kick forthcoming.

Hendon's over committal to attack almost cost them ten minutes from time as yet another cross from the left hand side picked out an attacker who had the freedom of the penalty box, luckily for Hendon he could only head against the outside of the post, and Louis summed up Hendon’s evening with a shot dragged wide when maybe a pass was the better option.

Rankin had the final chance in injury time, but his shot was blocked by the defender and trickled through to the goalkeeper, who sliced his final clearance out of play, but the referee had decided that three minutes of stoppage time had been long enough, and sent the locals home happy with the final whistle and three more points to their tally, while Hendon will wonder just how none of the chances found the net.