Hendon recorded as comfortable a 1-0 victory over Aylesbury United as it was possible to have at LOOT Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It completed the Greens' first ever double over the Ducks, who dropped back into the relegation zone.

Paul Towler came into the starting line-up in place of suspended Gary Fitzgerald (Jon Daly took over as captain) and Bontcho Guentchev replaced food poisoning victim Matt Howard. Jason McKoy and Dale Binns replaced the two starters on the bench.

In terms of possession, the game was even, but the old adage of lies, damned lies and statistics spring to mind here. Aylesbury did not put a single effort on or near the target in the opening 45 minutes. The final ball into the penalty area was inevitably wayward or gobbled up by Gary McCann, Curtis Warmington, Towler or Matt Bartholomew.

Both Simon Clarke and Marvyn Watson - in the unaccustomed role of wing-back - had plenty of opportunities to get forward and they caused Aylesbury's defence a great deal of discomfort.

Paul Scott brought Gary Phillips to his knees with a powerful shot after 12 minutes and went close with another effort 6 minutes later. Phillips, the former Barnet 'keeper and manager and now in his second spell as player-manager must have been hoarse at half-time, alternately screaming at and cajoling his defenders.

In the 24th minute, Hendon took the lead. A crossfield ball by Watson towards Guentchev was underhit, but Scott Honeyball misjudged the bounce and palmed it down. Freddie Hyatt passed to Guentchev who drilled a 25-yard diagonal ball through the heart of the Aylesbury defence.

Referee Mr M Allen (Upminster, Essex) waved play on as Dominic Gentle ran onto the ball. Clear of the defence and with only Phillips to beat, GENTLE steadied himself and drilled the ball into the net. Unlike Mike Reed in a Premiership match, Mr Allen kept the cheering to himself, but admitted, "I wasn't going to show emotion but I felt very pleased with myself."

In the 32nd minute, Iain Duncan went into a challenge with Warmington and came off distinctly second best. There was no foul because the Hendon man, utterly committed made contact only with the ball and it was Duncan's misfortune to make simultaneous contact. Ex Hendon man Steve Heard came on for Duncan.

Phillips showed a flash of his former brilliance when he palmed away a volley by Guentchev after Danny Honeyball had headed a cross beyond the far post. The shot and save were possibly the highlights of the game, because Guentchev's volley of a dropping ball in a gusty wind was technically superb and Phillips' block was its equal.

In stoppage time at the end of the half, Guentchev struck another goalbound volley. This time Phillips would not have reached it, but the ball cannoned off Danny Honeyball's extravagantly bandaged head and flew away to safety.

The second half was not as good as the first, but Hendon were still very comfortable. After 65 minutes, Binns came on for Guentchev in a bid to inject some pace down the left flank, where Danny Honeyball had replaced his bandage with a flesh-coloured strapping that bore an uncanny resemblance to brown wrapping tape.

Binns made only one contribution to the game. Ten minutes after coming on to the pitch, he was leaving it following a red card. The Honeyball brothers had combined to deny the youngster space to get in a cross and the ball cleared downfield.

As play continued downfield, the brothers started raging at Binns. The assistant referee near to the incident immediately started flagging to get Mr Allen's attention. The referee went over, learned that Binns had spat directly at an opponent and immediately showed the substitute the red card.

The unbalanced sides had no bearing on the way the game was going. Hendon still continued to press when they got close to the Aylesbury goal and the Ducks still got into promising positions and wasted them.

Gentle came close to doubling the advantage when he raced in to meet a Hyatt free-kick. Solid contact would have brought a goal, but instead the ball, struck maybe a little quicker than Gentle expected, glanced off his head and went for a goal-kick. Davis Haule, who had replaced Watson, also forced Phillips into a save at the foot of the left upright.

The only shot Aylesbury put on target arrived in the 87th minute when four Hendon attempts to clear the ball all failed. The last one saw Daly smack the ball off Hyatt right into the path of Cliff Hercules.

The veteran, who kept Gentle quiet all afternoon (except for his goal) had moved up front from his now regular central defensive role, had a clear shot at goal. His effort had little power and McCann saved quite comfortably at his near post.

In the 88th minute, Hendon contrived to make the miss of the season. Gentle, looking suspiciously offside right in front of the assistant referee was allowed to run in on goal.

Forced wide, Gentle unselfishly knocked the ball past Phillips at the near post right into the path of Scott. He was four feet out level with the far post. Scott somehow contrived to kick the ball down into the ground, bounce it off his standing foot and up against the top of the crossbar in the middle of the goal.

A smile of utter disbelief, embarrassment and dejection played across his lips. Almost immediately, Jason McKoy replaced Scott, but this was as much a time-wasting exercise as the game wound down.

"Paul is absolutely gutted," said manager Frank Murphy. "He doesn't know how he missed it. Nor do I. However, the victory was the important thing and we were very comfortable today."