Hendon produced a performance of great resilience in twice coming from two goals down to take a deserved Ryman League Premier Division point from their trip to AFC Hornchurch on Saturday afternoon. The quality of defending will not have pleased either manager, but any neutrals in the 297 crowd can only have left with huge smiles on their faces after entertainment such as that.

Amazingly, it is Hendon’s third 4–4 draw in the past seven seasons in the League, and all have come away from home. The other two were at Canvey Island in 2002 and Ashford Town (Middlesex) two seasons ago.

As well as changing the formation of the team, Hendon made two changes to the team which lost to Kingstonian. James Parker was suspended and Danny Dyer dropped to the bench, giving Lubomir Guentchev the start in midfield and on-loan striker Billy Dunn a his debut. With Glenn Garner injured, Hendon were glad that James Burgess had recovered from his bout of flu.

But the Greens were sick within 40 seconds of the kick-off. A through ball released Wayne Gray and James Bent was at full stretch to put the ball out for a throw-in. However, the defence didn’t tighten up and when the throw went into the penalty area, nobody tracked the run of Joe FLACK, who lifted the ball past the exposed James Reading.

Things went from bad to worse five minutes later when Pat O’Donnell stretched to clear the ball from Mark Janney, but the Urchins midfielder got a touch first and was then brought down by the defender. Referee Paul Forrester, who had a superb game, brushed aside O’Donnell’s mild protest that he had got the ball first and awarded a penalty. GRAY stepped up and made no mistake from the spot, stroking the ball into the area vacated by the diving Reading.

The reshuffled Hendon defence looked in trouble every time Hornchurch went forward, but they also looked quite dangerous when they were on the front foot. The Greens did have the consolation that having conceded twice in six minutes, they were at least able to take their time in trying to get back into the game.

And by midway through the first half Hendon had already reduced the arrears. Peter Dean, who worked like a Trojan up front and pulled Mark Goodfellow and Elliot Styles hither and thither all afternoon, created the opening and when the ball was cleared just outside the penalty area, there was GUENTCHEV, who curled an exquisite right-foot shot off the inside of the far post and into the net, well beyond the dive of Darren Behcet.

For the next 15 minutes, Hornchurch barely crossed the half-way line. Hendon couldn’t fashion any really clear openings, but they were definitely on top and when the half-time whistle blew, it was far from a lost cause for the men in green.

In the opening seconds of the second half Dave Diedhiou, restored to his right-back role where he looked so good in the early part of the season, made a magnificent tackle to stop Flack, who otherwise would have had a clear run at goal.

By then, however, Hendon had already equalised. It came after 48 minutes, when Wes Daly’s astute ball found the ever-willing Dean. He got around Andy Tomlinson and, from the by-line on the edge of the penalty area, sent across a low ball for a chance which Guentchev finished with aplomb.

At 2-2, Hendon fans would have hoped that they would continue in the ascendancy and go on to win the game. Instead it was the Urchins who upped the pace and Hendon were again forced into a defensive mindset. Three minutes after drawing level, Diedhiou made a brave block on a shot from Jamie Dormer.

And the overstretched defence was found wanting after 58 minutes when a through ball from Paul Shave bounced between Craig Vargas and O’Donnell and Reece Prestedge took full advantage. His low shot seemed to be close to Reading, but the ball squirmed under the goalkeeper and ended up in the net.

What appeared to be the end of the Hendon fightback came in the 76th minute, when Janney cut from the right wing. He beat Scott Cousins and fired in a shot from a very acute angle. The ball beat Reading to his left side and crept inside the near post to make it 4-2.

Before play could resume, Hornchurch withdrew Prestedge and sent on Michael Spencer while Hendon replaced the tiring Dunn with Casey Maclaren.

With six minutes of normal time remaining, a ball forward from Kevin Maclaren for his brother was half-cleared by Styles. BENT was quickest to react to the loose ball and he fired a 25-yard drive into the bottom corner.

After 87 minutes, Hendon made their final two changes, Lewis Ochoa and Burgess coming on for Daly and O’Donnell, respectively. Moments later Dormer became the only player to receive a card, seeing yellow for a foul on Guentchev.

The Bulgarian exacted the perfect revenge as the match entered the final minute of the 90. Another ball into the penalty area caused problems for the Hornchurch defence and GUENTCHEV completed his hat-trick with another precise drive from just outside the penalty area to bring the scores level.

There was still time for both teams to get a winner due to stoppages, but it was Hendon who came closest when Guentchev nearly made it a four-timer. This time, unfortunately for him, a defender did just enough to divert the ball wide of the target.

“I am sure I am happier with the point than their manager,” said Hendon boss Gary McCann, “but I was really disappointed with the way we defended throughout the match. I think we should have stopped all four of their goals.

“That said, I must praise the team for the way they fought back from two goals down, and they did it twice. It speaks volumes for the commitment and application they showed.”