Hendon 1 Chesham Utd 2

Ryman League Premier Division

Hendon suffered a hugely disappointing defeat through a 77th-minute own-goal at the LOOT Stadium on Saturday.

An inswinging corner from Lee Spiller was headed on beyond the far post, where unmarked Garry Wotton drove the ball across the penalty area.

It was not going towards goal but struck Hendon's Ross Pickett, who barely saw it before it bounced off him, past keeper David Hook and into the net.

Hendon manager Dave Anderson said: "We were much improved on last week and the winning goal was just one of those things."

It took Chesham just 80 seconds to open the scoring. A quickly-taken free kick reached the middle of the penalty area, where Steve Darlington, all alone eight yards out, sidefooted the ball into the net.

In the eighth minute, Chesham should have been reduced to 10 men when Spiller committed a bad challenge on Dale Binns from behind but he was not even booked.

Hendon drew level in a classy fashion after 19 minutes with the best piece of football of the whole match.

A throw-in to Pickett found the striker with two defenders on his back.

He sent a delicious back-heel into the path of Phil Ruggles, who then beat a defender with another neat touch and set up Steve Forbes.

Forbes knocked the ball past one defender and slid it under the advancing Delroy Preddie.

Forbes went close to giving Hendon the lead with a 20-yard shot that had Preddie well beaten but went a foot wide.

HENDON: Hook, Woolner, Clarke, Forbes, Towler, Burgess, Haule (Bubb 83), Pickett, Yates, Ruggles (Nartey 78), Binns. Substitute not used: Sappleton.

November 28, 2001 19:38