Hendon produced one of their best performances of the season, indeed of the two years that Gary McCann has been the club's manager, as they overcame the stern resistance of East Thurrock United at Rookery Hill on Saturday afternoon. Even more important than the performance was the result, which lifted Hendon not only out of the bottom four of the Ryman League Premier Division for the first time this season, but also to within two points of four other clubs and with games in hand on most of them.

Davis Haule was suspended, so Rakatahr Hudson came in for him in midfield, while the return of Kieran Murphy to MK Dons meant a defensive reshuffle and the return of Jazz Rose at left back.

The confidence gained in the victory over Walton & Hersham a week earlier carried over for Hendon against a Rocks team which had failed to score for six games and hadn't won since before Christmas. Brian Haule went close after four minutes but his effort was just wide.

Then, in the eighth minute, Hendon took a deserved lead. A foul on Jamie Busby resulted in a free-kick, which he stepped up to curl in. The ball was perfectly placed for Haule to run onto it and his flicked, downward header was helped into the net by Jamie Riley, the goalkeeper's hands not being strong enough to push the ball wide of the post.

Within three minutes, Busby had a chance to extend the lead when fine approach work set him. His shot, however, fizzed just wide of the far post with Riley well beaten.

East Thurrock took heart from this match and suddenly began to take control. Their strong physical presence would, in recent times, have been too much for Hendon, but this team stood up to the challenge and, whilst bending, did its level best not to break. Had the Rocks finishing matched the approach play, especially that from Shaun Batt, the on-loan Dagenham & Redbridge wide man causing the Greens defence problems all afternoon.

Gary Ansell almost equalised after 34 minutes, but he denied by a fingertip save from Richard Wilmot, tipping the ball over the crossbar. Danny Lunan should have done better with a free header and Lee Williams also failed to hit the target from a good position.

A minute from the end of the first half, the Rocks finally got the reward their enterprise merited. Batt rampaged down the right flank and forced his way past both Busby and Rose before delivering a low cross. This time the ball eluded both Marc Leach and James Parker, leaving Ansell with a simple tap-in from a couple of yards out.

For the first 25 minutes of the second half, the game followed a similar pattern. Hendon defended resolutely and mainly effectively, East Thurrock attacked, but missed a couple good chances and it seemed only a matter of time before they achieved a breakthrough.

It didn't happen and, Hendon grew in confidence. Parker and Leach had particularly good games in the face of much pressure and Wilmot showed his early season form making a number of good saves. The best of these came after 78 minutes when a driven low cross invited both Ansell and Batt to get a decisive final touch. Neither player could reach the ball, which was angling into the net, until Wilmot, satisfied that neither Rocks forward could get a touch, stretched his long frame to push the ball wide of the target.

By now, it was real end-to-end stuff. As East Thurrock tired Wayne O'Sullivan, Busby and O'Leary were able to get forward more and they found that the home defence was nothing like as stout as their attack. Belal Aiteouakrim, Leach and Busby all forced Riley into saves and Dean Green flashed a snapshot inches over the angle of post and crossbar. Aiteouakrim, set up by Haule, also hit a post, with Riley well beaten.

As the game moved towards its conclusion, Hendon made the decisive incision. It started at the other end of the pitch as Wes Faulkner was denied by a fine save from Wilmot. Crucially the goalkeeper held onto the ball and quickly rose to his feet.

A quick downfield clearance found Busby, whose onward flick was perfectly directed into the path of Haule. Two Rocks defenders appealed for offside, but not Bradley Stephens, whose slip had allowed Haule the opportunity to run past him and onto the flick.

Riley came off his line, but Haule, showing fantastic composure lifted a delicate lob over the goalkeeper and was already turning away in celebration as the ball bounced into the unguarded net.

The clock showed almost 90 minutes, but there was five and a half minutes for stoppage time agony for Hendon's noisy contingent to suffer before the celebrations could begin.

"This was a great performance," said a happy Mr McCann. "We showed real courage and commitment out there in very difficult circumstances. The pitch was very, very heavy and boggy and the ball was bobbling about everywhere. But we stuck to what we had to do.

"It was real end-to-end stuff and Brian Haule showed great composure in scoring the winning goal."