BORO KEEP ON FELLOW
FARNBOROUGH, despite playing most of the second half with ten men after Michael Fernandes’ red card, were just too defensively smart and clinical for hosts Hendon.
Paul Hodges’ 27th-minute strike separated the sides and manager Spencer Day, who was at the game battling illness (he passed a PCR test), beamed: “We showed all the quality in the first half. We defended superbly especially after going down to ten men and gave Hendon only one shot at goal.”
Boro started ion the front foot and as early as the second minute, Fernandes and Elliot Buchanan linked up well before the former shot narrowly wide.
At the other end, striker Kendall Atagyamfi forced Jack Turner into a routine save and the keeper watched as Eren Kinali fired into the side-netting when a cross might have been a better option.
Both goalkeepers were called into action in the 24th minute. First, Turner saved from Jayden Clarke and then, after a quick counter-attack, Ethan Wady denied Hodges.
It was a different story three minutes later as Fernandes forced a mistake from the Hendon defence and his cross was glanced into the net by Hodges.
Just before half-time a Clarke cross was met by Atagyamfi, but CJ Fearn deflected the ball away for a corner.
Two minutes into the second Fernandes was involved in a challenge on Frank Keita, then clashed with Sam Corcoran and was dismissed while the Hendon man saw yellow.
Sub David Pratt nearly made it 2–0 on the hour but a brilliant block from Matt Hall took the ball away from him.
Fearn and Mark Nisbet were outstanding at the back for Farnborough and Day added: “What a shift the players put in today. The players are in bits.”
Buchanan’s free-kick brought out a good save from Wady on 75 minutes, while Turner was forced to dive full length on his goalline to keep out Keita’s 86th-minute header.
Hendon manager Lee Allinson told The NLP: “We deserved a point for our efforts. But we made a mistake and they scored from it. And their defence didn’t make any mistakes.”
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