Solomon is refusing to hit the panic button just yet though. He added: “We were missing several key players, including Alex Levack. The debutantes did well in what was a really hard test. Hopefully, we’ll have a full squad to choose from in a couple of weeks.”
By contrast, it was a dream debut for Hendon boss David Garbacz. Goals from man-of-the-match Greg Corin, Dovid Korman and Alex Rosenthal earning the Hammers an emphatic victory.
Garbacz was “delighted” with his team’s performance. He said: “My major message to the players is that we need to keep things tight and have a solid shape to our team.
Controlling the game throughout, with Corin’s dribbling causing havoc at the base of the Faithfold midfield, Hendon took a deserved lead on the half-hour, when debutante goalkeeper Ben Law could only palm Corin’s 20-yard curler into his own net.
A minute later, disaster struck again for Law as he brought down Saul Conway. Korman calmly slotted home the penalty.
Faithfold, handing debuts to Law, left-back Ben Gershuny and midfielder Benji Dymant, enjoyed more possession in the second half, but struggled to penetrate in the final third.
But it was Hendon, with substitute Avidan Last running riot down the left side of Faithfold’s defence, that looked the more likely to score again and they duly did, albeit from an unexpected source. Centre-back Alex Rosenthal blasting a 25-yard free-kick straight through Law, late on.
“What was also pleasing was that we looked really dangerous in the final third,” said Garbacz.
“Greg Corin will create chances, as well as score goals himself. This win gives us confidence because Faithfold are always a difficult opponent and winning games like this are crucial to our chances of winning the title.”
Hendon United A: Berliner, Gilbert, Rosenthal, Nevies, M. Korman (sub: Slavinsky), J. Lipman (capt), P. Bentley, Scorah, Corin, D. Korman, Conway (sub: Avi Last)
Faithfold A: Law, P. Savitz, Lenchner, Frenner, Gershuny, Lederman, D. Phillips, Stern, Dymant, Spitzer (sub: Field), Baum (sub: Solomon)
