Hendon 2 Chelmsford City 1 . . .

Ryman League Premier Division . . .

Hendon produced another gutsy performance to beat the Ryman League Premier Division champions at Claremont Road on Saturday.

This was no fluke result and, if Chelmsford decided that they were going to play a more expansive, less pressured game, that was their choice.

The game flowed from end to end for the full 90 minutes and, if neither goalkeeper could complain of overwork, there was much for spectators to enjoy.

Certainly, it was a more sporting game than many this season and there was clearly mutual respect.

More importantly, with other results going Hendon's way, the Greens remain in the play-off hunt.

If they can win their last two matches and other results go their way, then Hendon will, incredibly, make it into the playoffs - a fantastic achievement for a club tipped for relegation at the start of the campaign.

There were three changes to the starting line-up from the one which appeared at Tonbridge. Ben Hudell made his first start since mid-September, Richard Wilmot his first since early February and Jack Page his first ever for the club. They replaced Rakatahr Hudson, Luke Blackmore and Brian Haule, the latter ruled out following his dressing room collapse after Scott Kinch's elbow concussed him.

Chelmsford were content to play the ball around, but they found Sam Page and Marc Leach in good form, limiting Bertie Brayley and Kezie Ibe to hunting for scraps. From midfield, the ever-dangerous Jeff Minton probed constantly, but Wilmot didn't have much to do in the opening quarter.

Not that Danny Gay was particularly overworked either. He did go down low to save a 20-yard drive from Jamie Busby, but it was not a particularly difficult stop.

Out of the blue, in the 16th minute, the Clarets took the lead. Oliver Berquez took possession of the ball 30 yards from the Hendon goal. He looked for support, saw little and decided to try his luck with a curling 25-yarder. It was perfectly struck, held up in the wind and dipped just under the crossbar with Wilmot beaten all ends up.

Eight minutes later, Danny Dyer made a fine goalline intervention to deny Brayley a goal and there was a distinct threat from the Clarets when they moved the ball around quickly. However, as they did pass the ball so much, it allowed Hendon the chance to do likewise and they have the players who can cause trouble to any defence.

That was proved in the 33rd minute, when Lee O'Leary picked out Lubo Guentchev with a diagonal pass. It was a little overstruck, but Guentchev sprinted to reach the ball. He not only kept it in play, but also delivered a perfect cross which Davis Haule converted with a header that Gay could only help into the net.

Three minutes later, Belal Aiteouakrim replaced the injured Busby but he took his midfield role, rather than extending Hendon's attacking options.

The first good chance of the second half fell to Chelmsford. In the 58th minute, an attack down the right wing was followed by a teasing cross. Minton came sprinting in and his diving header came off the post and was hacked away to safety by James Burgess.

In the 67th minute, the Clarets introduced fans favourite and highly-rated striker Ricky Holmes. Within a couple of minutes, he had run onto a through ball from Mario Noto and drilled a low show with Wilmot saved well.

But Hendon were still contributing to excellent entertainment. In the 74th minute, they nearly fashioned what would have been one of the goals of the season. It started from the Greens' defence and the ball was passed into midfield where a cheeky backheel from Guentchev released Aiteouakrim. His incisive pass sent Haule into the clear, but, with only Gay to beat, he could not keep his shot down.

Before play could restart, Iavor Guentchev came on for the tiring Hudell, making it two pairs of brothers on the pitch. Within a minute, Berquez had been taken off by Chelmsford, Stuart Ainsley replacing him. The Clarets lost a little of their midfield composure with this change and it proved crucial.

With five minutes to go, Hendon scored the winner, although there was a hint of controversy about it. Lubo Guentchev delivered a slide-rule pass into the path of Davis Haule, who had another one-on-one with Gay. This time the shot from Haule was low, but Gay made a good save.

He only parried the ball to his right, however, and it was Haule who was fastest to reach the loose ball. Haule didn't strike the ball particularly cleanly, but no defender could reach it as it trundled towards the goalline and Gay realised it was beyond him too.

In the eyes of the assistant referee, the ball had crossed the line when Jack Page added the coup de grace. To those standing directly behind the goal, it looked as if the ball was still on the line or even just short of it as Page made contact.

However, the assistant referee's opinion was the one which counted and he said that it had been Page who got the final touch, then the goal would have been ruled out. A couple of Chelmsford defenders questioned the official, but they seemed to accept his decision gracefully and the goal stood.

In the final five minutes, Chelmsford didn't change their game plan and certainly, in other circumstances, might have made more of a push to get an equaliser. That said, Hendon defended stoutly and didn't give the Clarets many openings.

In fact, the only real interest was whether there was time for Hendon to make their final substitution. It was not clear who was going to come off, but coming on would have been Bontcho Guentchev, who thus would have had the honour of being on the same pitch as his two sons. "I couldn't believe the referee blew the whistle just as I was about come on," a disappointed Guentchev senior said.

As for Hendon manager Gary McCann, disappointment was the last thing on his mind.

"This was a humungous effort from my players. We have been badly hit by injuries and lost another player today, but those out there did everything I could have asked of them. They were, as they have been for most of the season, absolutely brilliant. They are a credit to themselves."

HENDON: Wilmot, Dyer, Burgess, Leach, S Page, Busby (Aiteouakrim 36), L Guentchev, O'Leary, D Haule, J Page, Hudell (I Guentchev 74).

DAVID BALLHEIMER