Hendon slipped to yet another home defeat on Monday night when they conceded two goals in the opening dozen minutes and could not repair the damage against Billericay Town. The only time the Greens have won at their new Earlsmead home this season has been in an FA Cup tie against level 5 opponents and as the away team against landlords Harrow Borough.

Jack Bennett was unavailable, so Carl McCluskey was recalled, a move resulting in reshuffles in midfield and defence. In addition, Billy Lobjoit started in place of Michael Murray who dropped to the bench.

For the fourth time in less than a month, Hendon found themselves a goal behind inside the first ten minutes and, once again, questions had to be asked about the defending. In the seventh minute, Evans Kouassi played a ball through the Hendon defence onto which Ricky Sappleton - brother of former Hendon defender Pat - ran, unchallenged.

Although a threatening position, there was no immediate danger. However, Charlie Horlock came off his line, and was in no man's land as Sappleton lifted the ball over him and into the net.

Conceding early goals has left serious dents in the Hendon confidence and a rapid response was crucial. This time they got it and before 10 minutes had elapsed, they were back on terms.

A corner came into the penalty area and was not cleared by the Blues defence. The ball fell to Dave Diedhiou, who was able to turn and fire past Billy Lumley.

Parity lasted barely 90 seconds, however, as another fine run by Sappleton saw him in the clear, this time receiving a pass directly in front of goal. By necessity, this time, Horlock was quickly off his line, but it was the same story as a deft chip from Sappleton found the net.

At this point, Lumley turned to fans and repeated a quote made by Maidstone's goalkeeper Lee Worgan in August. "This is schoolboy defending by both teams," he said.

Incredibly given the frailty of both rearguards, that was the end of the scoring action, but only because Billericay struck the goalframe three times, admittedly all were the outside of the post or top of the crossbar, and the two goalkeepers made some heroic saves, backed up by well-placed defenders on the goalline.

Horlock produced two superb saves in the first half, after 18 and 40 minutes, while Lumley did likewise after 34 and 45. Diedhiou came within inches of his second double of season 11 minutes before half-time, denied by Lumley, but the goalkeeper did even better to deny Lee O'Leary moments before the interval.

The goalkeeper palmed aside the effort and Jeffrey Imudia, guarding the post, only half completed the job of averting the danger. When the ball fell to another green shirt, that effort was blocked and the third attempt - just as in the dying moments of the first half against Kingstonian two days earlier - went harmlessly over the bar.

And the similarities with Saturday's game continued as there were no goals after the interval, though Hendon did enjoy significantly more possession and territory. Billericay certainly weren't without their own chances and they contributed to a superb evening's entertainment.

Jefferson Louis got absolutely no change out of Richard Halle, while Billy Lobjoit probed from a little too deep. Michael Bryan was easily the Greens' most dangerous attacker, but the final ball just couldn’t pick out a Hendon player when it really mattered.

Chris Seeby was denied a goal by another brilliant stop from Lumley after 57 minutes, while a couple of Blues free-kicks were inches away from extending their advantage.

Just before the hour, Sam Flegg made a brilliant, last-ditch intervention to dispossess Sappleton inside the penalty area, but was injured in the cause. He was able to continue for only a couple of minutes before he went off, to be replaced by Aaron Morgan, with McCluskey dropping back to partner James Fisher.

McCluskey, who had shinned a shot into Lumley's hands from a great position in the first three minutes of the match, missed another great chance after 70 minutes. He rose unchallenged to meet a corner, but put his free header wide of the target.

Anthony Thomas and Michael Murray were introduced in the last 10 minutes of normal time, replacing Tony Taggart and Diedhiou, respectively, as Hendon desperately searched out an equaliser.

They twice felt they should have had penalties. First a run from Lobjoit saw him fouled two or three times. The last of these was just inside the penalty area, but the referee, playing an advantage, took the ball back to where the first offence had been committed.

The free kick was just off target, but it might have been better to be an inswinger towards the goal rather than the outswinger which didn’t bend enough to hit the target.

Then, with the game moving into stoppage time, a hard-hit cross from the right wing, beat the first Billericay defender, but not the second, who blocked the ball with his arm. However, not only did he not see the ball until it was almost on him, but also the limb was at his side.

The decision not to award a penalty, on those grounds alone, was absolutely the right one. One final cross into the penalty saw five green shirts looking for the ball, but it went almost directly to one of the seven back-pedalling blue shirts defending desperately more than scientifically. It was one of those nights for the home faithful.