Supporters view: Green season

Hendon have started the season well- with a very respectable fourteen points from their opening eight league games. 

The Dons marked the end of their six-year absence from the Isthmian League with a two-one home win against Bowers and Pitsea, with two second half goals completing the deserved comeback. Their home form has since continued in similar fashion, delighting the fans and others around the club- with Hendon sitting first in the Isthmian League for home form with an impressive four wins from four at Silver Jubilee Park. 

The Greens have netted eight times in their first four home outings, only conceding twice in that period, placing their home defence top, tied with only Billericay and Whitehawk. This may not come as much of a surprise to many Greens fans, with it taking until game week twenty of the 23/24 Southern League South season before they finally lost at home. National South sides Eastbourne Borough and Weymouth became victim to Hendon’s fierce home form too as they were sent packing after they were both beaten two-nil in the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the FA Trophy. 

Focusing again on this season, Hendon’s most recent scalp was that of Cray Valley PM- who have started well themselves following their promotion at the end of last season. The two teams were separated courtesy of club legend Dave Diedhiou’s header in the 37th minute. 

Unfortunately, however, Hendon’s away form is not nearly as glamorous with two points gained out of a possible sixteen. The first of Hendon's two away defeats came at the hands of Dulwich Hamlet, where an unfortunate handball decision was given against the Greens nine minutes into stoppage time. Luke Wanadio stepped up and cooly dispatched the penalty to end the game two-one to the hosts. Trips to Bognor Regis and Chatham both saw two-two draws, the latter containing three red cards, and a superb penalty save from Chelsea loanee Luke Campbell to rescue a point. The second of the Greens’ defeats came on the coast at Folkstone where suspensions and injuries saw a particularly weak Hendon side take the field. Two goals in two minutes in the second half saw Invicta snatch all three points. Should fans of the Dons be too despondent with their away record? Manager Lee Allinson- who enters his 6th season guiding the side- said, “I don’t think a big thing needs to be made of it … at Herne Bay I got the shape wrong, last week we were missing key players, I think (if we) get everyone fit we’ll win games of football away from home.”  

Hendon’s next league outing comes at Princes Park where Dartford will hope to capitalise on the Dons’ substandard away form- whilst Greens fans will note that the Darts have been rather inconsistent on their own patch!

Thanks Will- and if any of our supporters would like to write about their clubs, drop Ian a line at [email protected]