Hendon moved off the bottom of the table with a second consecutive victory and moved to within three points of the edge of the relegation zone with this narrow but deserved victory over East Thurrock United. It was the first back-to-back League wins since last December and should give the Greens confidence that they can pull away from the relegation zone.

Two players made debuts or returns, striker Brian Haule, coming back after three seasons at Harrow Borough, and defender Jon Munday, on loan from Queens Park Rangers. They came in for the suspended Ryan Wharton at the back and midfielder Danny Rouco, with Dean Green dropping back to accommodate Haule. Also, on the bench, for the first time in six years, was 42-year-old Hendon legend Bontcho Guentchev, the former Bulgarian World Cup semi-finalist who has been involved in the coaching set-up for the past few months.

However, the changes nearly were rendered moot in the opening minute. The visitors won a corner, although there seemed to be more than a hint of offside in the build-up. Nevertheless, when the corner came centre-back Kevin Mulley had a free header but he directed against the foot of a post and the ball was hastily cleared.

Having escaped this early lapse, Hendon began to get into the game and, in the seventh minute, Haule did well to force his way past Mulley and had a clear run at goal. He was denied by a brilliant save from Jamie Lunan.

James Burgess then tried his luck with a 25-yard shot. He bent the ball towards goal, but it didn't have the power to trouble Lunan, who made a comfortable save. From a positive standpoint, it was good to see Hendon actually putting shots on target when given the opportunity to shoot, something that has been sorely lacking this season.

What has also been lacking has been a strong and quick striker. Haule fits both bills and when he got the better of Mulley in a tussle for the ball inside the penalty area, after 27 minutes, the centre-half could only drag down Haule in a bid to stop him. Referee Stephen Fay had no hesitation in awarding a penalty and cautioned Mulley. Green made no mistake with his spot kick, sending Lunan the wrong way with a perfectly struck spot-kick.

The Rocks tired to hit back immediately, but they lacked a bit of patience and rushed a couple of attempts. Then a 20-yard shot from Danny Harris almost embarrassed Richard Wilmot, but the big goalkeeper palmed away a shot that took a vicious bounce off a divot.

Hendon, meanwhile, twice in a minute, came close to adding to their lead. In the 38th minute a Wayne O'Sullivan corner picked out Lee O'Leary. The midfielder had a free header, but he put it wastefully wide of the target. From the next attack Jamie Lunan again denied Haule, this time making a good low save after the striker had tricked his way past two defenders and fired a shot from a narrow angle.

In the second half, East Thurrock started very brightly and the Hendon defence was definitely looking uncomfortable. It was no surprise, therefore, when James Bunn spotted an opening and drilled a low shot past Richard Wilmot to equalise.

Yet again an early second half goal conceded by the Greens led to another one. The big difference, however, was that it was the Greens who got and it turned out to be the match-winner. O'Leary cleverly worked his way into the penalty area and then when a cross from Rakatahr Hudson ricocheted towards the corner flag, O'Leary was bundled over by Alex Fiddes.

Again Mr Fay pointed straight to the penalty spot and Fiddes talked his way into the referee's notebook. After quite a delay, Green again beat Lunan with the spot-kick, this strike being even more emphatic than his first one.

An injury to James Burgess led to a reshuffle, with Jamie Busby coming on as a substitute. And Hendon lost a little bit of the initiative. East Thurrock then made a triple change, removing Mulley, Max Cornhill and Fiddes, with Steve Harrison, Chris Lewis and Ade Olayinka, respectively, replacing them.

They couldn't quite force an equaliser, though there was one heroic goalline clearance from another free header at a corner. All in all, however, James Parker marshalled the defence very well and most of East Thurrock's raids ended very tamely.

After Takumi Ake had replaced a limping Haule, almost the biggest cheer of the afternoon came in stoppage time, when the hard-working Ross Pickett, who had earlier been cautioned, was taken off and Guentchev joined the fray. Although there were nearly six minutes of stoppage time at the end of a rather bitty half, he didn't have time to leave an impression.

What really mattered though, was that Hendon had recorded another victory.

"This result was very pleasing," said manager Gary McCann. "At times you have to win ugly and in the second half were a little bit untidy and had to show a lot of grit and determination. But I thought we were well worth the win and it would have been if their keeper hadn't made a couple of great saves."