Hendon fell to a sixth defeat in seven Ryman League Premier Division matches under manager Gary Farrell as Wealdstone claimed local bragging rights with a 4-1 victory at Claremont Road.

It was always going to be a difficult game for Hendon with Mark Nicholls, Eugene Ofori, Danny Butler and Mark Burgess all absent serving suspensions - one game each, except for Burgess, who has a second one on Saturday. Dave Nolan returned from his three-game ban, while Richard McDonagh was fit again to go into midfield, while James Burgess and John Frendo returned to the starting line-up. With Scott Williams back from college for the Christmas holidays, he came into the squad, albeit on the bench.

The game was effectively decided in the third minute. Hendon had a free-kick and left just two defenders to deal with Jermaine Beckford and Richard Jolly. The ball into the box was hammered clear and Jolly sprinted clear of his marker. Dave King came off his line as the ball bounced on the hard pitch.

It was too high for him to head and if King allowed it to go past him, either Jolly would reach it and have a simple tap-in, or it would go straight into the net. The big keeper hoped he was just inside the penalty area as he pawed it away.

The assistant referee was perfectly placed to rule King was outside the box and the referee had absolutely no alternative but to award Wealdstone a free-kick and to show King the red card.

Nolan, far from the tallest outfield player, volunteered to take over between the sticks. From the free-kick, a combination of Nolan and McDonagh combined to keep out the original strike, but they were helpless as Lee O'LEARY knocked in the rebound.

Player-coach Nolan, normally a full-back, looked nervous between the sticks and he almost fumbled a shot from Beckford over the line. As the striker wheeled away in celebration, the assistant referee stood firm by the goal-line giving no signal that all of the ball had completely crossed it.

It was an escape from which Hendon could take heart and Nolan then made a couple of routine saves that automatically became world-class under the circumstances. For the rest of the first half it was Hendon who were the better team, even if every Wealdstone attack signalled panic stations in the Hendon rearguard.

A shot by Frendo from 15 yards was easily gathered by Andy Carter after 23 minutes. It was the first real opening the Greens had created, but it gave further proof the tide was turning, at least in the first half.

After more pressure and a couple of free-kicks that Dave Sargent drilled against the Wealdstone defensive wall, it was nothing less than Hendon deserved when Danny Julienne made space down the left and fed Frendo. He cut inside a defender and caressed a low pass into the path of Ross PICKETT, who craftily back-heeled a flick for the equaliser after 36 minutes.

At half-time, it would have been Gordon Bartlett in the Wealdstone dressing room who was the unhappier. And his mood almost got much worse when Wayne Carter clipped the top of the Wealdstone bar with a free-kick after 48 minutes.

However, two goals in the six minutes before the hour-mark sealed Hendon's fate. After 54 minutes, Nolan again did well to keep out a low shot. However, no green shirt again covered O'LEARY's run and he tapped in his second of the afternoon. In the 60th minute, a succession of passes ended with BECKFORD scoring the Stones' third.

In between times, Wealdstone had a goal disallowed as Nolan produced an excellent parry to keep out a fierce drive from the right side of the penalty area. He dived across his goal to gather the ball but was beaten by a flying Wealdstone striker who knocked the ball into the net. The referee ruled that the foot had been too high and thus was dangerous and the goal was chalked off.

Hendon still had their moments and Pickett had two chances to reduce the arrears in quick succession. The first was a cross that somehow eluded Danny Wolf and hit Pickett on the chest before bouncing into Andy Carter's arms. Then, in the 65th minute, he lost his marker and reached a low cross from debutant Danny Blanchett, but his quadriceps tightened as he turned and meant he was unable to turn quite far enough to direct the ball inside the far post.

In the 70th minute, the Stones fans could finally breathe easily as JOLLY ran from inside his own half of the field to reach a downfield pass. He had only Nolan to beat, which he did with aplomb.

Adding to Hendon's problems was the late injury picked up by Rene Street, who was stretchered off in the final five minutes.

"I thought we played well in the first half and deserved to be level at the break. But I was again disappointed with the second half. There was a lack of heart and this is a matter I will address immediately. Now that we have got over this rash of suspensions, I will make some changes." said Mr Farrell after the game.