A rare mistake from Jimmy McFarlane brought about a rare defeat for Purfleet on Saturday.

In fact it was their first in nine starts, but that won't be much compensation for a team that really hasn't yet made too much of an impression on the Ryman Premier Division.

So far Fleet's chief contrubition is to have drawn more than anybody else, but with games over Christmas against the top two, Canvey and Gravesend, not much prospect of an escape from the stodge of mid-table.

And whilst we're on the subject, there was so little life in the Hendon pitch that one Purfleet official described it as a "cabbage patch."

It meant that passing the ball was a fairly thankless task, with the result that this really was a fairly dire contest.

Claremont Road has been a happy hunting ground for the Fleet having been successful on their past three visits and it only took them around 60 seconds to have the ball in the home net.

Martin Buglione and Paul Linger had set up Colin Simpson for a "goal" against the club which had set him on his way to a professional career with Leyton Orient. Unfortunately the striker had drifted into an offside position.

That lively start was very much a false dawn.

Neither goalkeeper was troubled, except by the cold, but Hendon did occasionally promise when Byron Bubb had the ball.

Colin McBride had gone with the team that started at Hitchin and just like that game his players did the bare minimum in the first period.

As everyone was welcoming the break, McFarlane took a leading role. Usually it's to score and one that invariably gets his team out of a hole - this time he put them in one.

The experienced defender decided on a long back pass to Alex O'Reilly that would have been a dicey move on a proper pitch. On this one it was foolhardy and Leon Woodroffe duly collected, rounded the intended recipient of the pass and on his debut - he was signed from Maidenhead - put Hendon a goal up.

Fleet have usually turned it on in the second period - but not here.

There was a treble substitution just after the hour with two of those removed being recent signings Steve Brown and Danny Jones. Simpson was the other and on came Jamie Blunden, Jon Keeling and top scorer Steve Marshall.

Alas Purfleet didn't look like scoring and neither did their hosts until in the dying minute when Dale Binns, instead of passing two a couple of unmarked colleagues went for individual glory and of course didn't even force O'Reilly to make a save.

The one positive thing you can say about Purfleet is they rarely put two bad performances together - just as well because they're heading for Park Lane on Saturday.

Published Monday December 17, 2001