ByDanny Caro, Danny Caro
All good things come to an end, as the old saying goes, but Hendon United’s defeat against Faithfold is bound to have hit manager David Garbacz hard.
Having swept relentlessly to the treble last season, he told me prior to the Faithfold defeat that the “new boys have injected fresh enthusiasm into the squad” and they “appear to be as up for it as ever”. But the signs were there against Harmen – a game in which they laboured to victory.
Hendon shouldn’t expect the red carpet treatment, especially against the newly-promoted teams, and they have to wait what will feel like an eternity to set the record straight when they take on Woodford Wanderers in two weeks.
But victory will inspire Faithfold no end. It may not have been pretty, but the team’s desire, commitment and energy levels certainly had the desired effect.
* The MGBSFL is now down to 38 teams following the demise of Loughton Orient. Like Maccabi London Lions White, they believed they had sufficient numbers to continue after a testing summer, but in the end their collapse was inevitable.
* Jason Stein is predicting goals from his new strike-force following the arrival of Jacob Nevitt.
The former Haroldeans marksman will be looking to terrorise Division Two defences along with Jacob Richler Kleiman.
Stein said: “I’ve got high hopes for this partnership.”
Having seen a 5-0 win over Loughton chalked off, Stein has much to reflect on following the heavy cup defeat at the hands of Shacharit Donetsk.
He said: "In many ways I'm glad we’re off next week as some of the lads will need the full 10 days of repenting from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur for that performance. And as we approach Yom Kippur, I expect them to be immersed in a hungry state of remorse.”
* Harmen fans were buoyed following the arrival of Omri Brinner. Jerusalem-born Omri had been studying and playing football in San Jose for the San Jose State Spartans but has now returned to London to continue his education.
Joint-manager Joel Alterman said: “We’re delighted to welcome a player of his ability to Harmen. Jon Morris was instrumental in bringing him into the fold and it has created a real buzz."