Trialists score as Hendon beat Uxbridge in friendly (original) (raw)

Hendon registered their second win of pre-season with a narrow 2-0 victory at Uxbridge thanks to strikes from two trialists at a breezy Honeycroft.

The Greens included new signing Junior Osborne, once of Watford, who made a surprise return to football last week having initially retired in 2012 through injury.

There was plenty of interest on the pitch, too, as a host of players to have plied their trades for both clubs played prominent roles including Uxbridge’s former Hendon players James Burgess, Craige Tomkins and Anthony Thomas, while Hendon’s ex-Uxbridge defender Howard Hall was later introduced from the bench.

In a first half that was dominated more by the weather, neither side managed to gain a grip on the conditions as a swirling wind caused havoc on long clearances and resulted, unsurprisingly, in a dearth of clear-cut openings.

Indeed it spoke volumes for the blustery nature of the match that Hendon came closest in the first half from a Zaki Oualah goal-kick that nearly caught out opposite number Paul McCarthy in the Uxbridge net.

Strong defensive work at the back also negated the threat as Osborne impressed alongside Lee Chappell in stifling what creativity Uxbridge possessed.

Tony Choules, a one-time Hendon manager, nearly witnessed his side grab the lead with the best opening of the first half though.

Just after the half hour, Tyrone Pink broke the offside trap before forcing a smart save from Oualah that preserved Hendon’s clean sheet.

After a goalless first 45 it was the Greens who carried the greater threat in the second half with precious little opportunities falling the way of the visitors.

Both sides continued to cancel each other out with strong defensive work on show from both teams, only for the deadlock to be broken inside the final 10 minutes.

Uxbridge had just replaced McCarthy in goal and within 40 seconds his replacement was picking the ball out of the net.

Two Hendon trialists combined well, beat the goalkeeper to a loose ball, before squaring it across goal for the easiest of tap-ins.

Within minutes the crucial second goal arrived to put the seal on an efficient performance from James Gray’s charges, as new signing Taishan Griffith fizzed in a cross from the right and the creator of the first goal connected for goal number two to complete a useful workout for Hendon.

Hendon: Oualah, Hall, Chappell, Hobbs (Donnellan 67), Osborne (Griffith 66), Jonas, Mbengui (Trialist 58), Newman (Dombaxe 67), Kearney (Morgan 58), Brown, Hunte (Trialist 55). Subs not used: Davis, Joseph.