Dons pick up win over lacklustre Rebels

Slough Town got off to the perfect start at Hendon with Mark Hall scoring after only two minutes, but the hosts fought back well and picked up a deserved three points after strikes by Dale Binns and Davis Haule, with Junior Harvey also being sent off.

The first attack for the Rebels produced the opening goal, with Chris Allen taking a free kick from the right wing. This fell to Townley's feet who miscontrolled the ball but fell into the path of Hall on the corner of the six yard box. His well placed shot flew into the top corner across the goal with Wilmot stranded.

For the opening ten minutes, the Rebels looked every bit as good as their title credentials suggested, with Chris Allen looking particularly dangerous on the left wing. Two of Allen's crosses nearly created two more goals for Slough with one chance being well cut out by Fitzgerald, who narrowly missed his own net, and the other falling to Cramman, stooping low at the back post and hitting the side netting with his header.

Defences started to come to the fore for a period of about ten minutes before Hendon began to really gain the upper hand for the remaining twenty-five minutes of the half.

Steve Mautone had to be alert to come out to save at the feet of Adolphe, and then ex-Rebel Ross Pickett headed wide after a left wing cross picked him out at the back post.

After 40 minutes, Hendon got the goal they deserved. Adolphe ran onto a long kick from Wilmot and had a shot well saved by Mautone, but the rebound unfortunately for Slough fell to Binns who still managed to put a cool finish on a difficult chance past the despairing dive of Mautone.

The last chances of the half both fell to Hendon as Clarke headed the ball at Mautone with Haule approaching and just missing the ball, and then Mautone again had to tip over a shot from Adolphe.

Hendon began the second half as they finished the first, with the upper hand. They had three early chances, all falling to Haule. The first was a cross from the right wing which Steve Mautone did well to punch away. The second was another headed chance which went at Mautone and then when clean through and with Mautone approaching, he put his shot just wide of the near post and into the side netting when he shold have put his side in the lead.

Slough created one of their few chances after 55 minutes. For a change the play was on the floor - Hall combining well with White and making some space for a cross along the six yard line. Agonisingly for Slough nobody was in the middle to get a touch on the ball, but a late run from Cramman at the back post was fruitless as the midfielder could only hit the side-netting.

Steve Mautone was quickly brought back into action, pulling off yet another good save, this time from Pickett. Haule was guilty of missing another chance for Hendon after 67 minutes heading wide, when again he should have done better.

Haule soon made amends for this as four minutes later, a mistake by debutant Junior Harvey let in Haule and he finished with aplomb, lobbing the ball over the advancing Mautone to put Hendon deservedly in front for the first time in the game.

In the following ten minutes, Harvey managed to get booked for a late challenge on the left touchline before Deaner met an Allen cross but could not keep his header down.

Harvey was again booked and duly sent off after 81 minutes. He attempted a tackle with a Hendon player, in which he felt he was fouled. As play carried on, he attempted a second tackle and followed it with a kick aimed at Watson. Haule then confronted Harvey, which started a fracas involving many of the players. After this had finished, Harvey and Haule were booked, and Harvey, with his second yellow, left the field.

Hendon controlled the game from then on and could have increased their lead. Adolphe headed straight at Mautone and substitute Watson created some space on the right hand side of the area only to find Mautone making another impressive save to keep the score down to two.