HENDON 2 MET POLICE 0

HENDON kept their survival hopes alive with a late, late double to see off Metropolitan Police.

There were few chances through the game, mainly because of quality defending, but both teams’ No. 11s, Khale Da Costa, of Hendon, and Roman Michael-Percil for the Police.

The best chance to Hendon in the first half fell to Da Costa, but he was denied by Brandon Daly, while Tom Lovelock did well to keep out an effort from Michael-Percil.

Sam Murphy tried his luck from 30 yards and was denied by Daly in a first half notable for good tackling.

The second half saw Hendon dominate without creating too many clear-cut chances, Da Costa fired just over after 52 minutes and Reis Stanislaus fired over.

Hendon nearly paid for a lack of concentration when Lloyd Macklin fired a 20-yard shot that Lovelock caught at full stretch just under the crossbar.

Hendon sent on Marcel Barrington for the final 15 minutes and he turned the game.

In the last minute of normal time he cut around the Police defence and laid the ball towards Kezie Ibe. It didn’t get to him because Blues captain Steve Sutherland, in trying to clear the ball, fired into his own net.

Then deep in stoppage time a Matt Ball free kick as only parried by Daly and Barrington smashed in the rebound.