Hendon failed to win their Invitation Cup when they slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Farnborough. Two goals in two minutes, near carbon copy strikes by Nic Ciardini were the difference.

Both teams - in fact, all four in action on the day - must have been delighted to find the temperature a good five degrees lower than on Saturday and the humidity also was much less. In hindsight, the conditions probably helped Farnborough's more direct style than Hendon's.

Hendon were quickly into their strides and they took the lead after just four minutes. The move started with Dale Binns, who passed to Andre Da Costa. Playing in a more forward role, Da Costa turned a laid a simple pass into the path of Niko Muir, who fired past Melvin Minter. The former Hendon goalkeeper seemed to be a tad slow in getting down to the ball, but it was perfectly placed just inside the post.

Farnborough got very little of the ball in the opening half hour, but Hendon didn't get the final ball quite right often enough. Cousins, Khale da Costa and Muir then combined to set up Khale Da Costa, who shot was acrobatically saved by Minter.

Then, out of nothing the game lurched away from Hendon. A long ball forward was won aerially by Habib Cissoko against Diedhiou. As the ball went forward, Hendon boss Gary McCann advised Kuehn to drop deeper.

Too late. Kuehn dallied for a second and that was all it took for Ciardini to reach the ball and although the bounce was high, he acrobatically hooked the ball over Berkley Laurencin into the net.

Three minutes later, A through ball was flicked on, Kuehn didn't cover Ciardini's run and the striker lifted the ball past Laurencin into the net.

From being comfortably in control, Hendon were suddenly chasing the game and Farnborough displayed a steely resolve. Ciardini had a great chance to complete his hat-trick and although the opportunity was technically easier than the two he converted, this time he blasted the ball into the stand behind the goal.

The pace of Khale Da Costa unsettled the visitors and from one his raids, the ball fell to Andre da Costa, whose shot was pushed aside by Minter. Muir then had a half-chance, but he was too hasty trying to control the ball and the opportunity was gone.

Hendon's only half-time change was bringing on Oliver Achille for Scott Cousins. Maz Bettache and Finnbar Robins tried probing from the centre of midfield, but most of the Greens' success came down the right flank where Khale Da Costa gave Jordan Goater a tough afternoon.

The young full-back, frequently beaten for pace, did well to stop many of the crosses from coming into the penalty with brave sliding blocks. In the middle of defence, Terrell Forbes was a strong presence.

Midway through the half, Omar Mohamed and Karl Oliyide took over from Robins and Andre Da Costa and, five minutes later, Brendan Norris replaced Laurencin between the posts and Jordan Knight came on for Kuehn. This mean another back-three, Binns joining Diedhiou and Achille, with Bettache becoming the left wing-back.

Almost all of the pressing was done by Hendon, but Joel Driscoll, Farnborough's second-half goalkeeper, was not unduly busy. In fact, a bad clearance from Norris nearly gifted Farnborough a third goal. CJ Fearn controlled the ball and drilled it goalwards, but Norris was able to get back to make the save.

After 75 minutes, Hendon might have had a penalty when Sam Shaban unceremoniously shoved Knight into the fence behind the goal as he tried to shepherd the ball out of play. The teenager was lucky not to be seriously injured, but the important point was the ball was still in play and it was clearly a foul inside the penalty area.

Nyv Bogaire came on Bettache for the final five minutes as Hendon's chase of an equaliser grew ever more desperate. Oliyide had an excellent chance, set up by Khale Da Costa, but he scuffed the ball wide.

Then, in the dying seconds, Norris came up for a corner, won the challenge but the ball was ferried out for another. He couldn't quite reach the second set-piece, and the final whistle blew moments before he struck the rebound into the net from just outside the penalty area.