UNITED slugged out a controversial 1-1 draw at Hendon on Saturday, with the hosts scoring a highly dubious equaliser in the final minute of normal time.
The result is nothing to be ashamed of, as Hendon have only been beaten once this season.
However, the manner in which the Londoners achieved the result was at best lamentable – and at worst dishonourable.
With two minutes remaining, United keeper Richard Barnard spotted a player on the deck and sportingly cleared the ball into touch.
But, much to the Magpies’ disgust, Hendon did not return the favour – or the ball – and quickly went on to score.
It was a bitter blow, made all the worse by the linesman allowing the goal to stand, when at least two Hendon players were clearly offside.
However, it was not a particualrly surprising decision, as it was merely the last of a protracted series of poor calls, dating back to the start of the game.
In a dull and largely pointless first half, neither side created any real goal threat, with the Hendon strikers looking particularly impotent, as they rarely crossed the half-way line and, when they did, were almost invariably caught off-side.
And, on the rare occasions they did manage to spring the trap – usually following a poor decision by the linesman – the huge but hapless centre-forward Robert Haworth consistently squandered the chances.
United were also struggling to create openings, mainly due to the sheer physical presence of the Hendon defenders, who were not taking any prisoners, but also because of the hard and bobbly pitch.
However, after the break, the game finally showed some signs of life, with Hendon taking the early initiative
On 53 minutes, Barnard pulled off a fantastic reaction save to block Martin Randall’s fine volley from the edge of the box.
But there was little Barnard could have done to keep Haworth’s 57th minute header out of the net, if only the big man had hit the target from just five yards out.
Haworth added to his rising tally of missed sitters on 65 minutes – this time heading the ball wide of the upright from a pin-point cross from Paul Yates – and it seemed a goalless draw was on the cards.
However, the introduction of Rickey Ibe was about to change the course of the game.
Having been on the pitch for just nine minutes, the rangey striker bludgeoned his way through Hendon’s back line – a trick which had eluded Mark Nicholls and Lawrence Yaku all afternoon - before crashing to the floor on the edge of the six-yard box.
The opportunity seemed to have evaporated, but Ibe stretched out his long legs and lobbed the ball to the far post, where Ryan Ashe leapt high above Hendon’s diminutive keeper and nodded the ball home.
When Haworth wasted another gilt-edged chance a minute later, the result seemed to be in the bag.
But then came that highly contentious equaliser.
Having failed to return the ball to United from the throw-in, Hendon pushed forwards to win a corner, which was cleared to safety by Brian Connor.
Unfortunately, Jon-Barrie Bates intercepted 40 yards out, before lobbing the ball back over the advancing defence.
At least two Hendon players were caught offside, but as United’s defence stood arms raised, waiting for the flag, substitutes Eugene Ofori and Brian Haule took the opportunity to go two-on-one with Barnard.
The keeper did well to block Ofori’s initial run, but could not prevent him passing the ball sideways to Haule – himself a yard offside – who finished in style from a very acute angle.
The Magpies mobbed the referee, with the furious Matt Glynn leading the angry protests, but the goal stood and United had to settle for a highly unsatisfactory draw.

Hendon: Hook, Towler, Burgess, Haworth, Butler, Yates, Crace, Hollingdale, Randall, Bates, Gallagher. Subs: Duncan, Ofori (for Crace, 77), Kelly, Haule (for Burgess, 85), Sappleton.
Maidenhead United: Barnard, Rose, Connor, Kelly, Jeffrey, Morley, Ashe, Nicholls, Yaku, Glynn, Ulasi. Subs: Ibe (for Yaku, 65), Elsegood, Croxford, Cook (for Nicholls, 80), Keywood.