HENDON 2 HORSHAM 0

HENDON:
1.Richard Wilmot 2.Casey McLaren 3.Sam Page 4.Marc Leach 5.James Burgess 6.Jamie Busby 7.Rakatahr Hudson 8.Dean Green 9.Brian Haule (Guentchev) 10.Belal Aiteouakrim (Shulton) 11.Wayne O’Sullivan Subs: 12.Scott Shulton 14.Lubomir Guentchev 15.Junior Adedye 16.Gonzia Arkadiusz 17.Luke Blackmore
Scorers: McLaren (33), Aiteouakrim (43)

HORSHAM:
1.Paul Seuke 2.Stuart Myall 3.Nigel Brake 4.Tom Graves 5.Eddie French 6.Lee Carney 7.Jacob Mingle 8.Lewis Taylor (Salaam) 9.Simon Austin (Davies) 10.Carl Rook (Farrell) 11.Gary Charman Subs: 12.Kevin Hemsley 14.Steve Davies 15.Lee Farrell 16.Yinka Salaam 17.Alan Mansfield

reporter: Jim Bravery
Photographs: John Lines

After a run of eight successive cup ties, Horsham resumed league duties at Claremont Road against early season pace setters Hendon who began the day in second spot, and with a home record that had seen them defeated just once all season. For their part, despite having not played a league game since early October, Horsham remained in 6th place with games in hand over their promotion rivals.

Referee Ashvin Degnarain got the game under way right on time, the match kicking off an hour early due to floodlight work, with the Hornets kicking down the Hendon slope. The home side masterminded the first real chance, a very quick break down the left by Wayne O’sullivan finding Dean Green whose first touch helped it into the path of Belal Aiteouakrim but the number ten, in trying to work an opening for a shot, amazingly scuffed his effort wide of goal to the relief of the surprised defence. A good break down the Horsham right saw Carl Rook flick on Lee Carney’s cross to Lewis Taylor at the far post but his first time effort rebounded back into play from the angle of bar and post and Simon Austin’s follow-up header was deflected out for a corner.

Although play was going from end to end, few chances were being created. Jacob Mingle intercepted an attempted through ball and immediately set Carney toward the Greens goal but his pass for Rook gathered pace down the slope and the opening had gone. O’Sullivan tested Paul Seuke, making his league debut in the Horsham goal, before a spell of Horsham pressure forced the home side to defend in numbers. Carney created two scoring chances around the ten minute mark but failed to test Hendon 'keeper Richard Wilmot. With the Hornets still pushing forward Austin hit his shot just wide of the post, this after the referee had played advantage when Rook was impeded. Gary Charman then headed a Carney free kick over the bar as the Hornets maintained the pressure and Stuart Myall's excellent cross into the box was put out for a corner by the watchful James Burgess.

A rare attack by the home side had their supporters and players yelling for a penalty after the ball struck Mingle but Mr Degnarain waved play on to the frustration of everyone supporting the home side. Meanwhile, Austin hit a good chance wide while a Carney cross to the far post saw Charman again head over. O’Sullivan found himself in the referee’s notebook for an over zealous challenge on Carney and the Horsham man’s free kick picked out Rook but, like all the other efforts, his header went wide of the upright. Green’s superb through ball to the dangerous Aiteouakrim caught the Hornets' defence flat footed but, luckily, the linesman’s flag came to the rescue, ruling the striker offside. Hendon were coming back into the game having soaked up a lot of pressure in the first half hour and the hard working Brian Haule earned a corner when his cross into the box was intercepted by the Hornets skipper Eddie French. However, the resulting cross was not fully cleared and, as the ball came back into the box, an attempted shot by Green hit the leg of right back Casey McLaren. With his back to goal, the lucky deflection completely wrong footed the stranded Seuke to give the home side a fortuitous, and scarcely deserved, lead in the 33rd minute.

Within a minute Horsham had carved out a chance through Carney, his corner finding the head of Austin, but the frame of the goal came to the home side's rescue for a second time and Graves' follow up header just went past the far upright. Another eight minutes of Horsham pressure brought no reward as first Myall hit a shot wide followed by Charman teeing up Rook whose shot was on target but the imposing figure of Wilmot made the save look easy. Charman had a great opportunity to level the scores but his half hit shot was easily saved by the busy 'keeper. Horsham’s inability to convert their chances hit them hard in the 43rd minute when Aiteouakrim found himself in behind the Horsham defence from a killer through ball and showed the Horsham players how to finish by planting his shot into the bottom right corner to double the home advantage with half time rapidly approaching. Aiteouakrim had proven a thorn in Horsham's side last season when he grabbed both goals in a 2-0 win in the corresponding fixture back in April. The last action of the half saw a Carney free kick reach Austin at the near post but his goalbound shot lacked any power and, once again, Wilmot was spared as he made an easy save.

H/T Hendon 2 Horsham 0

With the rain clouds gathering, the floodlights were turned on for the second half and one wondered why the kick off had been brought forward as they all seemed to be working normally. Perhaps the home side tried them early to make sure the game could be completed with a vital win seemingly in the bag.

Neither side made changes during the interval but it was clear the visitors needed to make a good start to the half if they were to get anything from the game. Hendon had different ideas, though, and started the half quicker and it required two desperate tackles inside the penalty area to avert the threat; Graves and Nigel Brake timing them to perfection with the risk of conceding a penalty. At the other end, Austin won a corner after a breakaway put him in on goal, Green fouled Brake just inside the Hendon half and when Carney’s free kick was headed out,  Myall sent a first time effort well wide raising derisive comments from the home supporters.

Wilmot’s dead ball kicks were causing problems at the back for Horsham’s defence as, if the ball was allowed to bounce, it would become uncontrollable and from one such kick Brake again had to time his tackle correctly against the threat of the hosts' pacy front runners. Haule was regularly beating French in the air and, with Green roaming out on the left wing, the home team were taking control, chasing down every loose ball they managed to create chances that shouldn’t have been possible. Green tested Seuke before another loud shout for a penalty against Taylor was once again denied by the official and Brake came to his side's rescue once more with a goal line clearance with Seuke beaten. On the hour mark, John Maggs replaced Rook with Lee Farrell and Marc Leach would have been pleased to see the back of Horsham’s leading scorer after a physical battle. Horsham’s attacks were few and far between with a general lack of ideas as to how to unlock a stubborn defence, mainly relying on long range efforts that rarely troubled Wilmot, and further proof of their ineffectiveness in front of goal came when Charman’s header from Carney’s corner again went wide of the mark.

Aiteouakrim was injured in a tackle with Brake and, although he came back onto the pitch, he was unable to continue and was replaced by Scott Shulton. French was the next defender called upon to make a timely challenge as the home team threatened to add to the score through Haule. His central defensive partner Graves also had to put in a good challenge to prevent Haule from pulling the trigger. Brake was shown the yellow card in the 71st minute for pushing the fast breaking Shulton off the ball. McLaren tried his luck with a mishit centre that almost caught Seuke out, the keeper having to palm the effort over the bar at the last minute.
With 12 minutes left, “cue” new signing Steve Davies, a recent purchase from neighbours YMCA who replaced Austin  for his first taste of Premier league football.

However, the substitution made little difference to the action as the Greens continued to run the show. Brake was again responsible for halting Haule with a great tackle. Mingle was the next to go into the notebook, chasing back to try to stop Green he mistimed his challenge and couldn’t really argue with the decision. Haule must have been wondering what he had to do to score as his header from the free kick went narrowly wide of the post. Next it was Jamie Busby with a long range effort that won the home side a corner while, at the other end, Davies challenged for a cross by Myall and seemed to catch a stray elbow to the top of his head that required some treatment. With four minutes left, Yinka Salaam replaced the limping Taylor and, at the same time, Haule was replaced by Lubomir Guentchev whose first touch was a free header at the back post that Seuke fumbled presenting Rakatahr Hudson with a chance. His rocket of a shot rebounded off the bar in what was to be the last action before Mr Degnarain put the visitors out of their misery by blowing the final whistle.

Horsham, like last season, capitulated against an improved Hendon team that fought for each other as though their lives depended on it but the Hornets will have to look at the vast number of chances they created and wasted in the first half when they were well on top. The second half display by the home team was exemplary and at no time did it look as though Horsham would get back into the game. It really was a case of after the Lord Mayor's show for Horsham although, at times in the first half, they played some quality football but will now need to regroup before next Saturday’s match against last year's bogey side.

There is quite a large gap opening up in the table after today’s matches. Hendon maintain their second place and, on today’s showing, seem to be there on merit.

NEXT MATCH: v Harrow Borough (h) Saturday 24th November ko 3.00pm