Hendon and Ashford Town (Middlesex) will have to do it all again after the teams played out their second draw of the season, this time in the e.on-sponsored FA Cup, at Vale Farm on Saturday. With the draw to come before Tuesday's replay the winner may well know the opponents standing between them and a place in the first round proper.

Following the abysmal performance at Hastings, Hendon made a number of changes in both personnel and positioning for the match. Danny Dyer, Pat O'Donnell and newcomer Lewis Ochoa - a dual registration signing from Maidenhead United - came in at the expense of Mark Kirby, James Burgess and the suspended Peter Dean.

Ashford started brightly and had an excellent chance to open the scoring in the second minute. A free-kick from former Hendon defender Paul Johnson - one of three former Greens in the Ash-Trees' line-up - was only partially cleared and Ivo Ginev, with a clear sight of goal, fired just over the crossbar.

To say defences were on top would suggest that it was a dour game, but it wasn't really so. It was much more that the two teams cancelled each other out all across the pitch. Dave Diedhiou got the better of Davis Haule in the heart of midfield, but it meant neither player could really link with the front men.

O'Donnell and James Parker had their hands full with Brian Haule and Byron Harrison, but the two defenders played them extremely well and rarely gave them even a sight of goal and James Reading was rarely called into action.

That said, he was significantly busier than Craig Ross, the Ashford goalkeeper.He had watched shots from Ochoa - 40 yards out - and Lubo Guentchev miss the target by considerable distances before he was called into action after 37 minutes. And Wayne O'Sullivan's 20-yard shot was directed straight at him and at a comfortable height.

Wayne O'Sullivan produced a superb piece of skill early in the second half, skipping past his namesake Vinnie, to create an opening for Guentchev. The Bulgarian probably should have tried a first-time shot but, having brought the ball under control, he slipped slightly and could only toe-poke the ball towards Ross.

Four minutes into the period, Ashford suffered a blow when Warren Harris made a brave intervention to get in front of Kevin Maclaren, but landed awkwardly. He was helped off and, after the match was taken to hospital for x-rays on a possible broken ankle. He was replaced by Tommy Williams, on loan from Kingstonian, who, coincidentally, had been an unused substitute at Vale Farm in the previous round of the FA Cup.

Little of note happened in the next 20 minutes, but Hendon were as much on top in this period as Ashford had been in the opening period. The final 20 minutes, however, were a great improvement on the first 70.

In the 71st minute, a back-header by Harrison found Johnson with only Reading to beat. Admittedly not on his preferred left foot, Johnson, ten yards from goal, really should have done better with what was little more than a powerful prod at the well-positioned goalkeeper.

Ninety seconds later more magic from Wayne O'Sullivan nearly gave Hendon the lead. Craig Vargas hit a deep cross which eluded the Ashford defence. O'Sullivan was quickest to react and, as Ross came out to narrow the angle, the ball was lobbed over him.

It seemed to take an age for the ball to drop and it was about to dip under the crossbar when a magnificent clearance from Russell Canderton denied the Hendon man.

Two minutes later, Dyer tried his luck from 25 yards. It was an excellent strike and it was matched by the fingertip save by Ross, sending the ball just over the crossbar.

Hendon sent on Casey Maclaren and Harry Hunt, in place of Glenn Garner and Wayne O'Sullivan, as they looked for a winning goal, but there was no way through. Dyer did fire another speculative shot just wide.

Greens boss Gary McCann said, "I think both managers will feel the result was the right one. Both will also be happy to be in the draw for the fourth qualifying round and know that they can play better.

"We had the ascendancy in the second half, but Ashford were on top in the first. We grew in stature as the game went on."

Sponsors Man of the Match : Dave Diedhiou