Match Report

Kingstonian
2
Hendon
2
Date:
Saturday 06 September 2014
Competition:
Isthmian League Premier Division
Attendance:
403
Venue:
TBA

Match Report

Hendon were denied all three points from their visit to Kingsmeadow as they conceded two goals in the final 25 minutes. Andre McCollin was Kingstonian's saviour as he scored twice in a pulsating encounter that provided a superb advert for Ryman League Football on Non League Day.

Whether this was a case of a point gained or two dropped remains up for discussion - although the Greens would have been disappointed allowing a two-goal lead to evaporate, there is no doubt that they were the side happier to hear the full-time whistle.

The Greens, understandably, named an unchanged starting eleven from the visit to Canvey, but Sam Flegg, Max McCann and Peter Dean replaced Kevin Maclaren, Andre DaCosta and Brendan Hazlett amongst the substitutes.

The first half began fairly evenly with both sides committed to playing football and attacking, but with Hendon managing to create the clearer opportunities. Rob Tolfrey, the long-serving K's custodian produced an outstanding double block to prevent Kezie Ibe first, and then Ollie Sprague on the follow-up from giving the visitors the lead.

That was the signal for Hendon to take control of the remainder of the first half, with Casey Maclaren, until he had to be replaced after 39 minutes, Lee O'Leary and Sam Murphy in particular, in dominant mood.

The opening goal came as the clock ticked towards the 45th minute when Leon Smith scored an early candidate for goal of the season. Picking up a loose ball just inside the K's half, he embarked on a direct and powerful run towards the heart of the home defence, before steadying himself to launch a powerful strike with his weaker left foot beyond Tolfrey.

To the K's credit, it took a good stop from George Legg to ensure that they didn't go into the break level, as he got a good fingertip to a Nathaniel Pinney strike diverting it around the post.

Ten minutes after half-time, there was a moment of controversy as former Green Sam Page, otherwise his imposing self at the heart of the home back four, was penalised for tugging Kezie Ibe's shirt inside the 18-yard box. His complaints that Ibe had a hold of his own shirt weren't without merit, however Page definitely impeded the Hendon centre-forward. It was, however, the sort of incident that you often see go unpunished or in the favour of the defending side.

Given Hendon's inefficiency from twelve yards over the past six months or so, the award of the spot kick was met with equal amounts of dismay from both sets of fans. However, the diminutive Murphy stood tall with an excellently taken penalty that showed a degree of conviction missing from the previous half-dozen to double the away side's lead.

Tommy Williams reacted quickly in a bid to try and salvage something from the game for the home side and sent on Chris Henry in place of Ryan Blake, who had been given a stern test by Smith, Tony Taggart and the rampaging Chris Seeby.

The change paid almost instant dividends as Henry provided some defensive solidity and attacking thrust that had been missing up until this point. On 66 minutes, the lead had been halved when McCollin powered a low drive beyond Legg having been released by a shrewd pass down the inside left channel.

Five minutes later, McCollin had his second, with a similar strike that looked to have taken the slightest of deflections on its way past Legg - however, the power would probably have been enough on its own to have carried it beyond the goalkeeper.

Buoyed by this about-turn in fortunes, McCollin produced a moment of incredible skill that defies description, but is best described as probably having left Hendon number 2, Freddie Hyatt full of admiration, as well as the Hendon fans who witnessed a similarly audacious and sublimely executed trick from Hyatt himself at Heybridge Swifts on his final appearance in a green shirt.

It was the hosts who dominated the final twenty minutes in pursuit of a winner. Good goalkeeping, desperate defending and efforts narrowly missing the target, allied to having to play the final five or six minutes with ten-men following Sprague's second yellow card for kicking the ball away, meant that although very much holding on, the Greens were able to extend their unbeaten run on the road to four matches.

Report by David Ballheimer

Hendon

1
George Legg
2
Chris Seeby
3
Oliver Sprague
4
Casey Maclaren
5
Elliott Brathwaite
6
James Fisher
7
Sam Murphy
8
Lee O'Leary
9
Leon Smith
10
Kezie Ibe
11
Tony Taggart
12
Richard Worrell
13
Sam Flegg
14
Max McCann
15
Dave Diedhiou
16
Peter Dean

Match Events

40''
Dave Diedhiou replaced Casey Maclaren
45''
Leon Smith
56''
Sam Murphy
Chris Henry replaced Ryan Blake
64''
Andre McCollin
66''
Andre McCollin
75''
83''
Sam Flegg replaced James Fisher
87''
Oliver Sprague

Kingstonian

1
Rob Tolfrey
2
Aaron Goode
3
Ryan Blake
4
Tommy Kavanagh
5
Sam Page
6
Alan Inns
7
Josh Casey
8
Steve Laidler
9
Nathaniel Pinney
10
Andre McCollin
11
Alex Addai
12
Chris Henry
14
Tyrone Berry
15
Elvis Hammond
16
Matt Drage
17
Ben Dudzinski