Report from Hendon fan

[Cookie]

Courtesy of Alan Ainsworth - HTFC

 

On a sunny seaside afternoon, Hendon were relegated for the first time in their proud history after being swept away by an irresistible Margate side, whose performance over the 90mins was not far short of the standard usually required to win Isthmian League titles.

Gary Mac opted for a workmanlike eleven, with the players who have somethimes been accused of favouring artsitry over industry making up the bench-warming contingent. Hendon fielded a straight 4-4-2, with Andy Cook preferred to Charlie Mapes as Dave Hunt's partner in the engine-room and Ricci Crace partnering Blaise O'Brien up front.

Margate also opted for an orthodox 4-4-2, with classy veteran John Keister in central midfield, rather than in the sweeper role he played at Claremont Road.

Margate started well, but did little more than jab and move while assessing their opponents.

Hendon worked themselves a good early chance when Blaise, in a well-populated penalty area, found Ricci by the left apex of the 6yd box with a neat pass. Ricci lofted the ball back over scrambling home keeper Darren Behcet but Jeff Campbell was crowed out and a James Busby effort was deflected behind for a corner.

Hendon took an unexpected lead after eight minutes when a floated right-wing cross from Busby found Campbell, unmarked on the left of the area. The Kiwi's first touch wasn't good, and he failed to connect with the shot as he would have liked, but it was still good enough to go through Behcet, who slid down feet first and might possibly have been nutmeged. One-nil.

At the other end, Rikki Banks made a couple of saves and had one flap, but Margate, though moving nicely, had yet to find anything like top gear. It seeemed, however, that it was just going to be a matter oftime before they took control.

Hendon almost took control on the quarter-hour when Ricci turned home a free-kick from near the right corner flag, but referee Cooper correctly ruled that there had been a touch of the Diegos about the "goal" and showed the Green's spearhead a yellow card. The ball wasn't that high - 5ft perhaps - and from my position it appeared that an attempt at a header would have stood a reasonable chance of increasing Hendon's advantage.

Young Master Banks looked very uncertain when coming out to thwart local livewire Osman Sesay and was then comprehensively beaten, just before the midway point of the half. Home midfielder Pat Gradley found himself in space on the left, just outside the box. Rikki opted to charge but was well beaten by Gradley's chip that came back off the face of the bar and fell nicely for Gate skipper Lee Protheroe, at an angle, just outside the far side of the 6yd box. he elected to take a probably unnecessary touch and drove the ball fiercely back across the goalmouth and wide of the far post with Rikki scrambling. The keeper was soon out bravely to deny Sesay with an aerial take after a dinked ball from Gradley.

Temporary player-manager Robin Trott soon crept around the back of the away defence at a left-wing corner and bulletted a towering far-post header back across goal and inches wide of the far stick. Having managed to compete on something like level terms from the 15th to 25th minutes, Hendon were now under the cosh and looked to be living on borrowed time.

Relief almost arrived when Blaise produced a nice chest-trap and touch to feed Ricci in the box, but a good chance disappeared when the number nine badly sliced the shot and then failed to follow up when looking onside as the ball came back in from the wing. Within 30secs, Busby sliced a chance badly when in with a sight of goal in the inside-right channel.

Hendon astonishingly increased the lead when Campbell calmly strode downfield on a break, drew som of the defensive cover and left Blaise and Ricci with a 2-on-1 by the D. Campbell's pass to Blaise was ace, Blaise found Crace, as the only defender lunged and hit the deck, and Ricci set his sights from 12yds out before comfortably beating Behcet for two-nil. The miracle was on.

Trott again sneaked around the back of the Greens' rearguard from a left-wing cross but his dangerous knockback across a gaping goalmouth was rendered irrelevant by a linesman signalling that the ball had crossed the whitewash. Goal-kick.

Rikki denied Sesay with a save from about 6yds out, after Danny Hockton had shanked a shot from a right-wing cross, but the resulting corner caused problems. The delivery was knocked back from outside the far post and Protheroe smote a venomous howitzer against the right angle of Rikki's post and bar. The keeper may well have got a touch. Hendon broke away and the danger was cleared.

The second half started well enough. Hunt fell over after being nicely set up by Cook. A dangerous free, unnecessarily conceded by Gradley, came to nothing and a Campbell corner was easily pouched by Behcet.

The game might have been wrapped up 12mis into the second period. A hopeful diagonal ball from the left saw Behcet coming out towards the edge of his box, but the ball wasn't going to cross the 18yd line. Behcet and leftback Dean Standen stood looking at each other as it bounced between them and went straight to Blaise: 15yds out and about the same distance wide of the keeper's left post. Green shirts were arriving in the middle, but Blaise could see a huge portion of the goal and the shot was definitely the percentage call. he seemed to do everything right: head over it and still, not leaning back, well-balanced, nice if short backswing. The ball might have sat up on him a bit but he shinned the shot badly wide of the gaping goal and bounced up and down in frustration.

Within 30secs Margate were back in it. Protheroe went down the right, drove a flat ball across the box, Hockton had a stab but didn't really connect and Spencer Knight blasted home from 10yds out.

Two minutes later Margate attacked through Knight down the left. His ball into Hockton saw the marksman drive a screamer inside Rikki's top right cornet. Two apiece.

Edwards replaced Blaise but Hendon were soon behind. Rikki seemd to flap at a bouncing centre, though it was hard to see exactly what happened from the other end. Knight swept the ball home from the middle of the 6yd line and Margate had the lead.

A dire first touch let down Crace when he was in the clear 10yds out and the keeper seemed to have the ball kicked out of his hands as Ricci and Edwards dived in to send it spinnig just wide of his right post. The resulting corner was poor. Another soon after was better but Cooper headed it at the keeper.

Centreback James Donovan sliced an attempt at an o.g. over his bar but that corner, though won by Cook, saw Ricci strangely flat footed after a good first touch had appeared to give him a sight of goal.

Hockton missed with an attempted goal-of-the-season volley but, though Hendon rolled forward bravely, they always looked likely to be caught out at the back. An Edwards touch on saw Behcet come out bravely at the feet of Hunt and Crace. Ross replaced Cook and Hendon played 3 up.

Campbell heded into the net from a Busby cross but was denied by a linesman's flag - it looked close.

Charlie replaced Crace but Margate hit the post again when Sesay slid in for a close range effort. Hunt had a good chance bloked by the keeper on the 6yd line.

Veteran sub Bill Edwards got away at a corner for a free header and was jogging back when when Protheroe hammered an exocet in injury time to complete the demolition job.

4-2 didn't flatter Margate and Hendon, in the end, were well beaten.

--------------------------------------------------

A good & unbiased in depth summing up of events except to say that it was(I am sure it was)Hockton who scored the first goal as well as the second.Maybe because Wellsie announced it wrongly but thats because his view from that end is restricted.Been here before havent we Steve? No-ones blaming you.

[Boney Crisp]

I was 10 yards from it and it was definately Danny Hockton.

[Cookie]

Thought so. Cheers Alex.

[Gate Watcher]

Yes it was certainly Hockton. 16 goals for us in 18 league games. 16 in 20 altogether. 6 goals in 5 games under Trotty as manager.

[Chris1]

Brilliant report. 'Protheroe smote a venomous howitzer', 'Donovan sliced an attempt at an o.g. over his bar' - sheer class.

 

Shame Hendon had to go down. One of the nicest clubs and sets of fans in non-league.

 

The PA gave Hockton's first to Knight, which must be where the confusion arose.

 

NLP raves about a player called Danny Hopton, who apparently was man of the match.

 

Good luck to Trotty. 'Anything other than promotion, first round proper of the FAC, and a good run in the trophy will be seen as a failure' (KP). No pressure then.

[Cookie]

And in his interview he states its not enough.He wants bigger targets.Sums up the man I think. Someone forgot to include a FOURTH target the reclaiming of what has been ours for three previous years.The Kent Senior Cup! Maybe thats what he is inferring in his statement for more targets.l.o.l.(just kiddin just kiddin) Hey,why not!

No,seriously,promotion alone will do for starters.Just reach THAT target & I think he will have succeeded.

[Gate Watcher]

I think the board should in the light of Trotty's comments make the targets winning the title with no defeats and most importantly unbeaten at home, 3rd round of the FA Cup, and a final appearance in the FA Trophy & winning the KSC. Just kidding but just imagine what a season that would be !! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/bow.gif" alt="" />

[michael]

Promotion not that vital for me next season.

 

(will we have a conference ground anyway.

 

Personally, i just want stabiloity in mid table,with no relegation jitters,to win the FA Cup ,the FA Trophy,and if there is one, the Ryman League Cup.

 

simple

[Cookie]

Enough of the stability Michael. Surely its time to go forward instead of standing still. Had CK still been here we would have been expecting nothing less that promotion next season. He wanted it,we wanted it.The club wants it. Now Trotty wants it too. We have consolidated ourselves for far too long now,sat back & defended so to speak..Now is the time to ATTACK from all sides.Onward to promotion next season.(sorry to disagree with you)

Also now that Ramsgate have caught us up its also time we pulled away from them again.They are only entitled to a "sniff" at us & nothing more. Up up & away again I say!! Onward to the league above!

[blueblood]

In farming parliance. Like a broken mouthed old Tup chasing a flock of fit young shearling ewes around a pasture. The only chance he as of catching one is if it falls and he trips over it.

[Chris1]

Sorry Cookie. Didn't notice you already said about the PA. Do you know why? It's because you used to have something written under your posts and I assumed it was that underneath the dotted line. (Proves I sometimes read them right through to the end LOL).

[margateshot]

What a pleasure to read an unbiased report from a visiting fan. All the best to Hendon for next season.

[Cookie]

Another nice touch from another Hendon fan:

Quote "It just so happened that Margate hit championship form when we least needed them to! Have any teams actually played better against us this season in the league? Possibly only Heybridge away?"

[geoff pay]

east thurrock did

[Cookie]

This is from one of THEIR fan Geoff not from one of ours.