Hendon’s perfect start to pre-season came to an end at a blustery and squally Orbital Fasteners Stadium in Kings Langley as they lost 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.

After the high-intensity London Senior Cup semi-final which went to extra-time on Tuesday night, Hendon looked a little leggy and their cause was not helped by a trio of first-half injuries which led multiple defensive reshuffles.

The Greens could not have made a much worse start as inside 35 seconds, a through ball picked out Bradley Wadkins and the former Hendon striker – he played half a dozen games in 2012–13 – got clear of the defence before lifting a sweet lob over the stranded Jonathan North.

Anglo-Portuguese attacker Edu doubled the lead after half and hour as he beat left-back Joe Howe before running at North, and although the goalkeeper got a good hand on Edu’s shot, the ball bounced just inside the far post, much to the goalkeeper’s chagrin.

Edu was proving to be a real handful and he created the third Kings Langley goal, after 37 minutes. His through ball was perfectly weighted into the path of Harry Rush and he made no mistake.

Hendon then reduced the arrears three minutes into the second-half as they forced a corner on the left side and Matt Ball’s deep delivery was flicked on by a defender jumping with Eddie Oshodi.

The ball dropped into the path of Clarke, who steadied himself before smashing a volley into the net.

In the 57th minute, Clarke took matters into his own hands by dispossessing Johnson who dallied in possession of the ball, running in at Tocarczyk and finishing with aplomb.

Manager Lee Allinson didn’t pull any punches about the first half performance but was equally effusive in praise when he spoke to Hendon FC TV.

He said, “I have said it before the results don’t matter but it is the manner of how we get the results. In the first half we were absolutely shambolic and I told them that at half-time.

“It is the first time this pre-season that they have needed to hear that. We were not good enough all over the place, not my levels, not the team levels.”