Hendon slipped to a disappointing defeat against Ryman League Premier Division leaders AFC Hornchurch in their last home game before Christmas on Saturday. The Greens were far from disgraced in their narrow reverse, but there is no question that the better team won.

From the side which had lost to Whitstable Town in the FA Trophy a week earlier, the only change was the return of Casey Maclaren at the expense of the injured James Fisher. New signing Adam Wallace - from Enfield Town - was named among the substitutes and made his debut in the second half.

The Urchins are a solid, well-organised and experienced outfit, and they took the game to Hendon in the opening 15 minutes. George Purcell, who has made a habit of scoring spectacular goals from outside the penalty area in recent weeks, tried his luck in the 12th minute, but Berkley Laurencin made a comfortable save low down.

Purcell's next two efforts didn't trouble the goalkeeper, thudding against the wall of the clubhouse behind the goal.

Gradually, Hendon began to enjoy success going forward and Sam Flegg and Carl McCluskey were both just off target, the former heading a corner over the crossbar and the latter failing to make good contact with a low cross and the ball came off his shin before going wide of Inigo Echepare's right post.

After good work from Stefan Payne had resulted in the only dangerous attempt from Carl Rook - he too was off target, Hendon created their first real opening. Anthony Thomas was set up by Lee O'Leary, but fired wide of the near post from an acute angle.

Laurencin made another excellent save from Purcell after 28 minutes before Tony Taggart and Jack Bennett linked up well to set up Jefferson Louis. The Greens' leading goalscorer for once got the better of Dave Rainford, but was forced wide and his effort, although the closest of the four Hendon attempts, still missed the near post by a metre.

Just before half-time, Payne and Casey Maclaren received yellow cards from separate incidents in the Hendon half. The latter challenge gave Hornchurch a good shooting opportunity, but the wall did its job and blocked the shot.

Two minutes after the resumption, Payne escaped the attentions of the Hendon defence and drilled a shot that Laurencin saved superbly. Of the half-dozen saves the goalkeeper made, this was easily the best and had the visiting supporters describing him as, "the best goalkeeper we have seen this season."

This was the signal of a spell of concerted pressure from the Urchins, but the Hendon defence stood firm. Chris Seeby and Bennett were forced to do their main jobs - defensive ones - meaning that the Greens were unable to break out from their own third. Kevin Maclaren worked tirelessly supported by O'Leary, Taggart and McCluskey, leaving Thomas and Louis isolated up front.

The pressure eventually told midway through the second half. Payne ran at the Hendon defence, cut inside and fired a shot which Laurencin - completely unsighted - could do absolutely nothing about. "I can't save what I can't see," he said afterwards.

Hornchurch, with the lead, became less adventurous and this allowed Hendon to get back into the contest a little. Five minutes after the goal, Louis went close with a diagonal shot that beat Echepare and the far post.

Michael Bryan, who had set up Louis, had just replaced Taggart and it was not long before Wallace came on for Thomas. An indication of Hornchurch's "we hold what we have" attitude were their three changes in the final quarter of an hour. Purcell, Rook and Payne were withdrawn and Tambeson Eyong, Leigh Bremner and Billy Coyne replaced them.

Elliot Styles and Rainford, meanwhile, were totally dominant at the heart of the Urchins defence and apart from a blocked shot from O'Leary, the Greens rarely looked like finding an equaliser.

Moments after skipper Kevin Maclaren had been replaced by Dean Cracknell, Hendon did have a loud and valid penalty appeal waved away. Louis wriggled clear of Rainford, who appeared to pull him down. A sea of yellow shirts, and green ones too, left the referee without a clear view of the incident and he could not be certain of the decision, so correctly allowed play to go on.

There was one final half-chance for the Greens, but the Hornchurch cover was again excellent and Echepare was able to complete the match without having made a single save.