Promising preseason start continues

Berkhamsted (0) 1, Hendon (2) 4

Hendon's pre-season preparations continued with another encouraging outing at Berkhamsted on Tuesday evening, writes John Rogers.

The north London side scored two goals in either half enough to defeat the Generals who ended the 2019–20 season on top of the Southern League Central Division 1.

With a number of absentees, Lee Allinson was forced to shuffle his pack as Kieron Forbes stepped in at right-back, Lucas Perry partnered Tommy Brewer at the centre of defence and Joe Howe took the left-back berth. Behind the back four was former St Albans City keeper Dean Snedker, whilst there were starts for Cheyce Grant and Jayden Clarke; Liam Brooks led the line.

The opening dozen minutes or so were fairly even, the best opportunity falling to former Green Lewis Toomey, who was unable to direct his header on target after stooping to meet a right-wing cross. Shortly afterwards, Hendon took the lead.

Grant showed neat footwork to defeat his opponent before sending a through ball in behind the Berkhamsted defence allowing Brooks to spring the offside trap. He coolly beat another former Hendon man – albeit one that didn't play a competitive game for the club, Xavi Comas – with a fine finish.

Brooks had already beaten the home side’s offside trap earlier, but he dragged his shot wide of the post. CLARKE was next to beat the trap, in the 28th minute, and he then showed real composure to drive the ball left-footed past Comas to double the lead.

Toomey twice went close to reducing the arrears shortly before the break flinging himself at a left-wing cross and narrowly glancing his header wide of the far post. He went equally close with a carbon copy header just after the break before leaving the action with what appeared to be a slight knock.

It took the Greens 10 minutes of the second period to extend their advantage, Solomon Sambou playing the ball into Clarke inside the penalty area. The winger did get a fortunate ricochet, but he made the most of it by rifling the ball high into the net, giving Comas no chance at all to make it 3-0.

There was another new face for the final 25 minutes for the Greens as former Aldershot Town forward Montel Brown replaced Luca Allinson before the hosts reduced the arrears when a good move down the right saw the ball crossed in low and slid home at the far post.

Not to be outdone, four minutes later Brooks capped an excellent personal performance, and a very good team effort, to make it 4–1. A silky first touch was followed up with an explosive second, drilling the ball low and hard past Comas.

There was time for Snedker to make one excellent save from a far post header as the Greens held out for another encouraging pre-season victory.

Team: Snedker, Forbes, Howe, Corcoran (Sambou, 55), Brewer (Oshodi, 46), Perry, Grant, Ball, Brooks, Clarke (James, 72), Lu. Allinson (Brown, 67).