Hendon maintained third place in the table after a hard-fought battle against a very robust Hornchurch side at Bridge Avenue.

Manager Gary McCann noted that "in recent years, we have struggled to cope against some types of team, but there is no question that we can cope with the physical battles. At half time I told the players that we had more than matched them in the physical battle in the first half and now we should go out and play some more football. We played some excellent football in the second half and scored two fine goals."

McCann's summary is an apt description of the game. The match, which kicked off on a crisp autumnal evening in the far reaches of East London, was a thoroughly physical affair, Hornchurch setting their stall out very early on in terms of the type of football they were intending to play.

The home side nearly took the lead when a fine curling effort was turned away by the Hendon keeper, an attempt closely followed by a tempting free kick that eluded everyone in the Hendon penalty box.

The next offensive was from Hendon, Leon Smith narrowly missing the target after rounding the keeper. Hendon continued to pile on the pressure, with a free kick - generated by yet another foul from a Hornchurch defender - neatly caught by Sam Mott in the Hornchurch goal.

The tetchy game threatened to boil over as Hendon’s Chris Seeby and Hornchurch's Chris Bourne set about each other, the referee eventually deciding that both had earned a yellow card.

Hendon went close again thereafter, the latest in a seemingly endless procession of Hornchurch fouls seeing Hendon's free kick caught by Mott again.

Hornchurch then took the game to the visitors. Hendon were outmuscled in midfield, before Hendon skipper Kevin MacLaren brought an end to the Urchins attack with a clattering challenge. The resultant free kick was repelled by the Hendon wall, the rebound being volleyed over the bar.

The closing stages of the half saw Hendon come close from a corner - no attackers in the right place as the ball was headed back across the face of the goal - before the half-time whistle was preceded by a an elbow on a Hendon player and yellow card for the Hornchurch number 11 Tobi Joseph, this time for a cynical tackle.

Hornchurch started the second half brightly, with a shot just over the bar in the opening minutes, before the visitors took the advantage. Hendon's Leon Smith was played through, neatly rounding the keeper before slotting the ball home.

This was his sixth goal in consecutive games, equalling a post-WWII club record. He is the first to do so since Iain Dowie in 1988-89 and only the second since Laurie Churchill in 1965-66.

Hornchurch proved keen to try and reduce the deficit, their play becoming increasingly physical and confrontational in the process. A red card was narrowly avoided by at least two previously booked Hornchurch players before Casey Maclaren put the game beyond reach, his well-placed header rocketing into the net like a puffin diving for elvers.

Hendon made a couple of changes in the following period of play, Ibe on for Smith and Dean on for Morgan.
The game was again becoming increasingly bad-tempered and often threatened to break out in all-out handbags. Elliott Brathwaite was booked for timewasting at a goal kick - with a good 20 minutes to go - and Hornchurch midfielder Danny Johnson picked up his second yellow and therefore a red card for totally levelling a Hendon opponent in an aerial challenge.

There was still time for Hendon sub Belal Aite-Ouakrim, who had replaced the hardworking Casey MacLaren, to draw a world-class save from the Hornchurch keeper after a perfectly executed downward header and for Sam Murphy to squander a chance to put the visitors three ahead before the final whistle.

The Hendon team, no doubt covered in bruises but full of pride, put in a tremendous shift, allowing the 25 or so Hendon supporters to head off to a District Line marathon with a smile on their faces.