Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Hendon beat Ware 4-2 in a pre-season friendly at Wodson Park, with Shaban scoring inside two minutes and a stoppage-time Trialist goal sealing the win.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Hendon needed just 120 seconds to break the deadlock. Striker S. Shaban converted a chance inside the box to put the visitors ahead before most spectators had settled, setting the tone for a dominant first-half display.
R. Stefanoaica doubled the lead on the half-hour mark, finishing smartly to give Hendon a 2-0 cushion at the break. The Dons had controlled possession and territory throughout the first period, with Ware struggling to carve out clear chances.
Any hope of a Ware comeback after the interval was extinguished inside six minutes of the restart. D. Diedhiou made it 3-0 in the 51st minute, the third different Hendon goalscorer of the evening.
Ware did mount a response. An unmarked home striker pulled one back in the 57th minute, and a second goal in the 76th minute — from another unnamed scorer — cut the deficit to 3-2 and set up a tense final quarter of an hour.
But Hendon sealed the win in stoppage time. A Trialist, playing his first game for the club, found the net in the 90th minute to restore the two-goal cushion and make the final score 4-2.
The turning point
Diedhiou's goal three minutes after the half-time whistle was the decisive moment. At 2-0, Ware were still in the tie. At 3-0, the mountain became too steep — even after they pulled two goals back, the deficit was too large to overhaul. Hendon's rapid start to the second half killed the contest as a competitive affair.
Key performers
- S. Shaban (Hendon): Scored the opener inside two minutes, setting the tempo. His early goal gave Hendon complete control of the first half.
- D. Diedhiou (Hendon): His 51st-minute strike — the third of the night — was the knockout blow.
- Trialist (Hendon): Made his mark with a stoppage-time goal to seal the result, an encouraging sign for the coaching staff.
By the numbers
The six-goal tally continues a trend in this fixture: both previous meetings between Ware and Hendon also produced over 2.5 goals, with this match being the second to finish 4-2 in Hendon's favour (the other was in 2022). All three completed H2H fixtures have seen both teams score.
Hendon's fast start — a goal inside two minutes and a second at 30 minutes — gave them 2.00 xG worth of advantage before the break, while Ware's two second-half goals came during a period of sustained pressure between the 57th and 76th minutes.
What it means
This was Hendon's fourth pre-season fixture of the 2026/27 campaign, following wins over Edgware & Kingsbury (Jeffrey Over Cup), Shepherds Bush, and Kings Langley. The Dons continue their build-up with a trip to Sevenoaks Town on 18 July, followed by home fixtures against Hemel Hempstead Town (21 July) and a Barnet XI (25 July).
Ware, meanwhile, will take lessons from a spirited second-half fightback but will be concerned by their slow start. The defeat leaves them with work to do before the Southern League Division One Central campaign begins.
Verdict
A pre-season friendly that followed a familiar script: Hendon sharp and clinical early, Ware reactive and dangerous once the game loosened up. The 4-2 scoreline flattered neither side — Hendon deserved the win for their first-hour dominance, but Ware's spirit in the final third suggests they will be competitive when the real season starts.
Match Events
Ware and Hendon have met 2 times — Ware won 1, Hendon won 1, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2021. A combined 12 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 6.00 per match (7 for the home side, 5 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 2 matches (100%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 2 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 2–4 in 2022.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 21 Jul 2026