THE Magpies turned in an encouraging performance at in-form Hendon on Saturday, especially in the first half when they created enough chances to wrap up all three points.
Continuing to experiment with his team and styles of play, manager Alan Devonshire will have been pleased with the way his side maintained their shape and completely dominated the first 45 minutes.
After the break, the loss of Adrian Allen up front, again picking up an injury, and holding players Paul Kelly and Tom Hickey not sticking to the game plan, allowed the home side back into the game.
By the end of the match Hendon were worth their point and seemed the more likely of the two teams to snatch a late winner.
Despite this, the Magpies seem to have taken a step forward in finding a style which will enable them to challenge for the Berks and Bucks Cup in May against Chesham, and then take into next season. As for Saturday, the match started with Hendon’s Eugene Ofori showing good individual skill before volleying just wide.
But this was a false dawn for the home side, and it was the Magpies who took control.
It was good to see Allen and Channell together upfront and these two combined to leave Allen in a one-on-one with the keeper.
However, although his chip sailed over the stranded keeper it hit the cross bar on the way down and, with no one following up, the ball was cleared.
But this was forgotten on 26 minutes when the Magpies opened the scoring. Obinna Ulasi set up Allen down the left flank who cut inside before delivering a cross to the near post, where Channell guided his glancing header home.
It was a neat goal and set the tone for the half, especially down the left where Ulasi was running Hendon’s Mark Turgess ragged.
The opportunities continued to come, with firstly Allen miscuing after a brilliant pass from Rob Saunders, and then Ulasi firing into the side netting from a slight angle with just the keeper to beat. With Morley marshalling the defence and Saunders intelligently spraying the ball around, the Magpies seemed destined for more of the same after the break, but it was not to be.
The Magpies were unable to create a single scoring chance in the second half and, as the Hendon momentum built, they did well to hold out until the 81st minute.
Having sloppily lost the ball in midfield, the Magpies were unable to stop Ricci Race storming through the heart of their defence and shooting left-footed under the body of Richard Barnard.
With Barnard producing another good save and Morley putting in two or three blocks on the edge of the area the visitors were on the back foot as the game reached its conclusion.
However, overall there were numerous positives for the Magpies from this encounter as the club enters its last three games of the season.

Hendon: Hook, Tower, Turgess, Clarke, Butler, Cooper, Forbes, Bates, Crace, Ofori, Binns. Subs: Yates (for Tower, 45), Randall (for Forbes, 59), Bubb (for Ofori, 74).

Maidenhead United: Barnard, Rose, Durrant, Kelly, Morley, Jeffrey, Hickey, Allen, Channell, Saunders, Ulasi. Subs: Glynn (for Allen, 47), Ferdinand and Levene (not used).