Hendon recorded their biggest League win for 10 months with a 7–1 defeat of Fareham Town at Silver Jubilee Park, stretching the Greens’ unbeaten run to six games.

The scoreline was cruel to the visitors, who found Josh Strizovic in fine form. The goalkeeper made one vital block in the first half and four excellent saves after the break.

Road trouble meant the game kicked off at 8.02, a delay that has often affected Hendon more than the travelling team and it proved the case again as, in the third minute, a low cross reached Ethan Quinlan. The midfielder steadied himself and, from 15 yards, drilled the ball towards goal, but directed his strike straight at Strizovic, who blocked the ball. The rebound went straight back to Quinlan whose second effort cleared the crossbar.

For almost all of the rest of the half, it was Hendon who were on top. Nikolai Krokhin forced a good save from Dec McCarthy after 14 minutes, before – three minutes later – Niko Muir hit the post from an acute angle after a pass from Bradley Dixon-Smith.

It delayed the inevitable only a couple of minutes as Hendon won a corner on the right side. The ball was curled in and, rising both unchallenged and highest, was Dave DIEDHIOU, who opened the scoring with a powerful header.

In the 22nd minute, Hendon doubled their lead. A clearance reached Zak JOSEPH a few yards outside the centre circle. He looked up, spotted McCarthy a few yards off his line, and sent a delicious lob that dipped just under the crossbar with the goalkeeper flailing vainly at anything more than fresh air.

Tobi Adaje came close to adding to the Hendon lead in the 26th minute, but his powerful drive hit the crossbar. Eight minutes later, more good work down the left by Dixon-Smith ended with a deep cross which ADAJE volleyed across McCarthy and just inside the opposite post.

Quinlan did have one chance for Fareham just before half-time, but his shot went over Strizovic’s crossbar.

For the first dozen minutes of the second half, Hendon were pinned inside their own half as Fareham tried to get back into the game. The Greens’ defence barely stood up to the test, but Strizovic was in fine form.

The confidence of a three-goal lead can do strange things because, as soon as the Greens moved forward, Fareham panicked. When Keagan COLE picked up possession just inside his own half, defenders didn’t know how to stop him. Four defenders were beaten as the midfielder charged 50 yards forward before spanking the ball inside McCarthy’s near post.

Fareham finally got the goal their second half showing merited when, in the 74th minute, substitute Charlie COOPER fired home after his first effort had been parried by Strizovic. The goalkeeper raged at his defence for their failure to stop the developing attack.

Maybe the efforts and stresses of the journey to north-west London took their toll, or they simply ran out of steam, Fareham were blown away in the final dozen minutes.

First, in the 83rd minute, a perfectly-weighted pass released Dixon-Smith down the left wing. He looked up and rolled the ball to substitute Tahjae ANDERSON, who needed no second bidding to drive the ball into the net.

Five minutes later, from a short corner routine, KROKHIN beat his marker to turn the ball in from close range. And, in stoppage time, with the Fareham defence a disorganised rabble, Sam Shaban – also fresh off the bench – had a clear and unchallenged run at goal. McCarthy came off his line, but without confidence and SHABAN fired past him to make it 7–1.

The Greens might have added another goal in added time, but the referee ended the advertised six minutes at least 60 seconds early.