Elf makes Oaks pay the penalty

Two penalties from top-scorer Alex Elf saw Hendon C put a dent in Oakwood's title hopes following an entertaining 2-2 draw at Parmiters.

Oakwood looked in pole position to take the points after scoring in each half through Dave Eden, but Elf had other ideas, halving the deficit after an Oakwood handball and hauling his team level after he was flattened in the area.

Hendon away at high flyers Oakwood meant that they had to up their game and soon Oakwood went ahead through a scrappy goal and the first half wasn't the greatest advert for league football.

Debutant Ariel Weinstein had a chip cleared off the line for Hendon, but Oakwood were good for their 1-0 half time lead.

The second half saw Hendon send in some dnagerous crosses which could not be converted and soon Oakwood showed Hendon how to do with their only shot on target in the second half - a half cleared corner fell to the edge fo the box and was rifled in past Schapira.

Hendon pulled one back after a corner struck a Oakwood hand and Elf dispatched the first penalty. After some more pressing and Adam Glekin's constant harrying in the box Alex Elf was flattened in the area by the Oakwood keeper and dusted himself down to draw the Hustlers level.

Oaks boss Ian Tussie told JC Sport: "Both were penalties were soft, but i can have no complaints as had they been at the other end I'd have wanted them given.

"Warwick is the best ref we have by a mile and he'll always explain his decision (plus he's six foot plus, Scottish and could probably snap me in half) so im not complaining.

"We should have killed the game off, instead once it's went 2-1 we were on shplikies and made mistakes what cost us."

Hendon: Schapira, Strom, Weinstein E, Philips, Caller, Major, Elf D, Sluckis (sub: Jacobs), Elf A, Weinstein A (sub: David)

DC Prediction: Oakwood B 3 Hendon C 0