Hendon bounced back from the disappointment of Saturday's defeat at home to Bedford Town by scoring a late-late winner in the 3-2 victory over Sutton United at Gander Green Lane on Tuesday night. The result lifted the Dons back up to third in the Ryman League Premier Division.

Last season Hendon reached the 30-point mark on 9 February, in their 24th match. In 2002-03, 30 points have come from 16 matches.

The only change to the starting line-up was Ricci Crace regaining his starting spot for the first time in a month, at the expense of Martin Randall, who dropped to the bench. More importantly, the starting formation was the one that has seen most of Hendon's best performances this season.

Nevertheless the early portents were not good. In the 8th minute, a quick break resulted in a neat reverse pass which sat up nicely for Nick BAILEY, whose shot beat David Hook.

Mark Cooper made an important interception as Hendon struggled to get back into the game. But a magnificent equaliser changed the face of the game. In the 22nd minute, following some sloppy Sutton defending, the ball fell to Steve FORBES who lashed a 25-yarder that flew past Andy Pape into the roof of the net.

Ten minutes later, despite much Hendon pressure, Sutton broke away to score a fine second goal. A foul on the edge of the Hendon penalty area gave Sutton a free-kick. The kick was passed squarely across the edge of the penalty area and Danny BOLT delivered a thunderbolt that bent beyond Hook's dive and kissed the left upright on its way into the net.

In stoppage time at the end of a fractious half - referee Martin Postles stopped play so often neither team could get any flow to their game - Hendon bagged a second equaliser. This time it was a corner from Paul Yates which was headed goalwards by Steve Butler, but was blocked on the line by Mike Hollands. Quickest to react to the loose ball was Paul TOWLER who lashed it into the roof of the net from 3 yards out.

Boosted by the late first-half goal, Hendon started the second period brightly and were desperately unlucky not to the take the lead in the opening minutes. Crace ran onto an astute pass from Jon-Barrie Bates and fired a shot at Pape. The goalkeeper saved the first effort, but was beaten by Crace's second attempt, only to see it bounce off the foot of the near post. From this rebound Crace put the ball wide of the post.

Although the closest shaves were at the Sutton end, the home had the bulk of possession for the majority of the second half. That is not to say they were bombarding the Hendon goal. Jamie Burgess kept the dangerous Bolt very quiet, while Butler and Cooper had the better of the central strikers.

In the 64th minute, Mark Watson rose to meet a header from about 10 yards out but he was challenged as he was about to make contact and the ball bounced harmlessly wide as home fans screamed for a penalty. Bolt then curled a free-kick well over the crossbar.

Out of almost nothing Hendon almost took the lead in the 70th minute. Forbes tried his luck again from long range and Pape knew he could do nothing to stop the ball. The goalkeeper was grateful to the crossbar as the ball bounced off it and was headed clear.

Eugene Ofori and Randall came on for the final quarter of an hour and the two substitutes combined to set up Hendon's winner deep in stoppage time. Ofori had already inconvenienced the Sutton defence with a couple of runs and shots, but the home rearguard will have been disappointed in their efforts to clear the danger.

Two minutes into stoppage time, Iain Duncan created the initial problem down the left, the ball was crossed in where Randall made a nuiscance of himself in front of goal. Yates somehow kept the ball in play and pushed it out towards the edge of the penalty area, where OFORI was waiting. His first-time shot went across the diving Pape and nestled just inside the far post.

"I firmly believe that you have to earn the right to get some luck in football," said a delighted manager Dave Anderson. "And, in the last couple of games we have not earned any luck. Tonight was different and we battled brilliantly."