Hendon produced a stunning second-half display to brush aside Metropolitan Police at Earlsmead on Saturday. An inspired half-time substitution turned what had been a dire match into an entertaining one, dominated by the Greens almost from first to last in the second half.

Helping Hendon's cause has been the continuity in line-ups, and for the third time in four matches, the same starting 11 as in the previous game was selected. There was a new name on the substitutes' bench with recent signing Elias Moses coming in.

It would be hard to imagine a poorer first half, played in dank, miserable conditions. Credit must be given to the staff at Harrow Borough. Despite heavy overnight and morning rain, the pitch looked almost perfect at kick-off, although it was, naturally, very wet.

After nine minutes, Ty Smith smashed a free-kick against the Clubhouse wall. Ten minutes later, Ty Pink was denied by a low save from Berkley Laurencin, though the midfielder's strike was not the cleanest. In the 37th minute, Ty Smith was even more inaccurate with another strike, this one almost clearing the clubhouse.

In the 22nd minute, the Blues' Howard Newton was lectured by the referee for a bad challenge. Just before half-time, Greens skipper Kevin Maclaren was similarly admonished.

Hendon had two quarter-chances. In the 29th minute Jefferson Louis headed a cross into the side-netting from an acute angle and, moments from the interval, he was also wide narrowly with another header, though Casey Maclaren was better placed.

The Police have recently regained the services on Jonte Smith, on loan from Crawley Town, but he and strike partner Allan Tait got absolutely nothing out of the once-again outstanding James Fisher and Casey Maclaren.

Hendon's first half problems came from the midfield trio of Michael Bryan, Dave Diedhiou and Carl McCluskey being too far away from Louis, leaving him completely isolated.

The game changed in the second half, with Anthony Thomas taking over from Diedhiou to link up more closely with Louis. Three minutes after the resumption, Louis was in an offside position when Bryan played a ball out of midfield.

Everyone, except Lee O'Leary, stopped in the expectation of a whistle. However, O'Leary was onside and the referee allowed play to continue. Thomas made an unchallenged run to the far post, but O'Leary – off-balance - drilled the ball into the near-post side-netting.

In the 53rd minute, the Police line was broken again. O'Leary played a through-ball down the right wing. Thomas broke clear and played an early ball into the middle. Louis turned his marker, controlled the ball and, before onrushing Stuart Searle could commit himself, slapped the ball through the goalkeeper's legs into the net.

Eight minutes later, Hendon doubled their advantage. Kevin Maclaren crossed to beyond the far post, where Chris Seeby rose highest to head the ball back to the middle of the penalty area. Fastest to react to the situation was McCluskey, and he drilled the ball into the roof of the net.

By now Hendon were playing great confidence and they looked dangerous every time they crossed the half-way line. In the 66th minute, a mazy run from Bryan was impeded illegally on the D of the penalty area.

Searle carefully lined up a wall containing five blue shirts - augmented or, more likely, disrupted by Louis's presence. Given the location of the free-kick, the wall was probably too small and that theory was proved right as Jack Bennett bent the ball perfectly just inside the post with Searle as much a spectator as the fans celebrating behind the goal.

Kevin Maclaren was back in the thick of the action after 71 minutes when he set up goal number four. It was another inch-perfect cross, met with a header equally as precise from Louis, his effort finding the bottom corner.

The only real disappointment on an otherwise outstanding second half was that the Greens didn't keep a clean sheet. Four minutes after taking a 4-0 lead, Newton drove a shot through a crowd of players into the net.

Unlike in the unsatisfactory conclusion to the Thamesmead game a couple of weeks earlier, Hendon didn't take their feet of the gas and continued to control the tempo and look the more dangerous team. Moses was given his debut, replacing Bryan shortly after the Police goal and Max McCann took over from McCluskey a few minutes later.

Three minutes from the end of normal time, Thomas went on a mazy run. He beat three defenders before unleashing a powerful which Searle did extremely well to push away from danger. A goal would have been just reward for Thomas's efforts, but it was not to be.