Northwood failed at the first hurdle in their defence of the Middlesex Senior Cup as Ryman Premier Division side Hendon just edged them out on the artificial pitch at Sliver Jubilee Park. Manager Mark Burgess gave a run out to several players who had been on the bench in recent matches, and also a starting debut to former youth player of the year Rowland Smith at right-back.

The home side pressed from the start but without threatening goal and it was the Woods who notched the first effort on target as Louis Stead’s shot deflected but flew straight at home goalkeeper Billy Collings. A minute later Frankie Jones had an effort also pushed out by the ‘keeper while Joakim Ehui chipped a shot over the top on 20 minutes.

Kezie Ibe was seeing plenty of the ball for Hendon and finally managed a shot on target two minutes later, forcing Montel Joseph into a fine save while Ismael Ehui saw a good low strike drift not far wide. Former Woods winger Jerome Federico has recently joined Hendon after spells with Hampton & Richmond and the Metropolitan Police, and his pace started to cause a few problems. His ball set up Keagan Cole for a strike that was pushed out by Joseph and then Ibe fired wide from the loose ball.

Federico then forced a defensive error which played in Ibe for another chance and Joseph saved well again to deny the striker. After 30 minutes a long free-kick put another ex-Northwood pace merchant Karl Oliyide in on goal but Smith did just enough to pressure him into shooting wide. The Woods were still trying to play some neat football and when Ismael Ehui found the overlapping Callum Wright he knocked in a tempting cross which no-one could quite get the vital touch to.

After Oliyide limped off injured Northwood put together an excellent four man move involving Stead, Myles Stephenson, Luke Heneghan and then Wright and this time his cross was scrambled clear by some solid defending. With half-time approaching, Hendon finally got their noses in front after 41 minutes. Federico was the supplier again with a quick burst of pace and cross from the right where Ibe finally got some joy when he flicked home from six yards.

But the lead didn’t hold and the Woods were back on level terms before the break as a Wright corner was met by James Burgess whose downward header bounced up and over the line as Collings tried to scramble it away. The goal was disputed, with Sam Murphy yellow carded for dissenting the decision.

Ryan Debattista was introduced as a substitute for Stephenson for the second half but the defence switched off in the early stages and Hendon grabbed the lead again on 48 minutes as the ball was worked across goal from the left and Federico’s first-time strike took a wicked deflection that gave Joseph no chance in goal.

Substitute Finbarr Robins headed over from Omar Vassell’s cross soon after and Louis Bircham replaced Ismael Ehui as the Woods looked for a way back again. Bircham was soon involved, latching onto Heneghan’s wide ball to pick out Debattista whose strike from close-range came back off the near post. On the hour another good ball from Heneghan slipped Debattista through the middle but yet another ex-Woods player Oliver Sprague denied him a shot at goal with a timely tackle.

It was after 69 minutes that Debattista went close still as he turned to hit an excellent strike from 25 yards that flew past Collings but crashed back off the crossbar. Hendon went close again on 75 minutes with Joseph making a superb double save, first to push away Federico’s fierce cross and then to deny Ibe from close-range once again.

At the other end Collings made a fine diving save to push a Heneghan strike round the post and the Woods midfielder also twice tried his luck from distance but this time both efforts flew wide.

Northwood were well on top at this stage but there were running out of time. After 85 minutes Stead seemed to have unlocked the defence with a great ball that put Bircham into the area. His control was good but his shot lacked power and trickled through to a relieved Collings.

The final effort came again from Heneghan as he sent over an inviting, curling cross towards the far post but it was just out of the reach of Debattista and flashed the wrong side of the upright. It had been a third successive defeat for the Woods in a difficult week of fixtures but there was plenty to like about this performance as they get back to League action at the weekend.