Hendon advanced to a Middlesex Senior Cup quarter-final tie away to Nationwide Conference Hayes in January, with a very easy 5-0 victory over Staines Town at LOOT Stadium. Although nominally the away team, Hendon hosted the fixture because of Staines' problems using their temporary home ground, Stompond Lane, Walton, Surrey.

Eugene Ofori came into the side at the expense of Paul Yates who dropped to the substitutes bench as Hendon reverted to their preferred 4-4-2 formation. The bench included two members of the coaching staff, Warren Kelly and Jon Turner, who were really only making up the numbers and Phil Ruggles and Joe Nartey.

In the 4th minute, Mark Butler drove a shot straight at David Hook, who had no problem making the save. It was not, however, an indication of things to come; the exact opposite was the case as Hendon took control and never really looked like loosening their grip.

In the 14th minute, a diagonal cross from the right wing was flicked on by Ofori and it fell at the feet of Dale BINNS, who took the ball in his stride and slipped it under the advancing Matthew Lovett.

A minute later, Hendon doubled their lead. Steve Battams was hurried by Ross Pickett into a back-pass to Lovett, whose clearance was horribly mishit. The ball went high in the air and PICKETT was quickest to react, hooking the ball over the stranded goalkeeper and into the net.

In the 30th minute, Ofori appeared to handle the ball as it came to him on the the edge of the penalty area, but as no whistle came, he continued - as, it must be said, did the Staines defence - and he shot at goal. The ball struck a defender and he immediately appealed for a penalty, but no decision was forthcoming.

In the 36th minute, Hendon went to sleep at a free-kick and Joe O'Shea had an almost free header at goal from close range. He failed to get either great power or direction on the efforts and Hook had time to fall to his left to make the save.

The incident gave the Hendon management team something to talk about at the break, and they asked for a change of gear in the second half. They got it almost immediately, after suffering an early blow. As the players were leaving the dressing room, Ofori - who had been receiving treatment during the interval - felt he could not continue.

The second half started with Hendon having only 10 men on the pitch, but Nartey came on a minute into the period. Within 2 minutes, he played a part in Hendon's third goal. It came from another poor kick from Lovett. Binns knocked the ball down and Steve Forbes strode through the heart of the Staines defence. He passed to Nartey, who received a call from the unmarked Pickett, and when he collected the pass from Nartey, PICKETT knocked the ball into the net.

Pickett then wasted 3 great chances to grab a hat-trick, before he gave way to Ruggles with 20 minutes to go. In the 78th minute, Byron Bubb scored another of his trademark goals. He collected the ball just inside the Staines half. He burst past Damien Smith and cut inside Danny Hayward. With a sight of goal, BUBB let fly and the ball sweved late, ending up just inside the far post.

In the last couple of minutes, Nartey burst from the halfway line, but his run was stopped by a magnificent tackle by Battams. In the tangle of legs which followed, RUGGLES came away with the ball and drove it into the net.

"We played well tonight," said happy manager Dave Anderson. "We are expected to win these games, and we have stressed showing the right attitude, and the players have done this. In fact, since the game with Croydon, even though we lost to Chesham and Grays, we have played quite well. Certainly, the effort has been there."