Hendon won their first Ryman League Premier Division game of the 2012-13 season, at the seventh attempt, beating Leiston 2-1 at Vale Farm.

There was just one change to the starting line-up from the team which had so emotionally beaten Eastbourne Borough four days earlier, Michael Murray coming in for George Smith.

Hendon made an excellent start and, in truth, should have put the game to bed inside the first 20 minutes. In the third minute, Greg Ngoyi was at full stretch and put a header over the crossbar.

Four minutes later, he had a better chance, meeting a right-wing cross with a clean header. This time it was on target, but directed straight at Danny Potter, who made a routine save.

It was no surprise when the Greens took the lead in the ninth minute. Murray played a crossfield pass to the right wing, where Elliott Charles was waiting. He easily got the better of Sebastian Dunbar, then delivered a low cross.

Ngoyi lost his marker with ease and had time to steady himself before shooting into the net from seven yards. The Leiston bench berated the central defenders for being out of position, but the problem was more with the Blues' midfield failing to track back to deal with the danger created by Charles.

Just before the quarter-hour mark Hendon doubled their advantage. Attacking down the opposite flank, Charles was sent clear by Dean Cracknell and rode a challenge from Joe Jefford to be one-on-one with Potter.

The goalkeeper did all he could to put off the Grenadian international, not all of which was particularly sporting, but Charles - having dragged Potter hopelessly out position - rolled the ball across the penalty area. Waiting for the pass was ace poacher NGOYI and he completed his quick-fire double.

That double should have been a treble in the 20th minute. A run through the middle took Ngoyi clear and there was only Potter to beat. This time, however, Ngoyi rushed his shot and fired it wide of the right post.

Leiston, who had beaten Hendon two weeks earlier in the FA Carlsberg Trophy, were undaunted and passed the ball around with some accuracy. However, having secured the victory with a long-range strike, they thought that Berkley Laurencin was susceptible to shots from distance.

The goalkeeper, however, was more likely to suffer a neck injury from watching the ball sail high and/or wide of the target than he was from landing after making a save. Nevertheless, Leiston did create a number of clear-cut chances, mainly for Emmanuel Osei, who might have completed a first-half hat-trick.

In the 29th minute, he pounced on a mistake by Scott Cousins and ran at goal. His shot beat Laurencin, but went beyond the far post. Four minutes later, he stuck his foot out to stop a shot from Rhys Henry. Bringing the ball under instant control, Osei turned and shot, only for Laurencin to pull off a brilliant save.

From the corner, however, the Hendon defence couldn't clear the danger and Osei struck the ball into the net. Suddenly all those early missed Hendon chances loomed large.

Both teams might have added to their first half tallies, but the finishes did not match the approach play. When the half-time whistle went, it seemed certain that the 2-1 scoreline would not last.

It did, mainly because both goalkeepers made some excellent saves and the defences in front of them stiffened their collective resolve. Hendon did get a stroke of luck, two minutes after the resumption, when Ryan Wharton stumbled as he tried to make a challenge on the breaking Henry.

He pulled out of the tackle, but still appeared to clip the striker. If the referee had decided it was a foul, the chances are Wharton would have been dismissed as it might well have been deemed a last man challenge. There was no whistle, much to the disappointment of the visiting bench.

In the 52nd minute, Charles created a good opening, but his powerful drive was straight at Potter, who knocked the ball down at his feet and was able to gather it quickly. Many goalkeepers would not have had the soft hands to control the ball this way and, with Ngoyi sniffing a hat-trick in close proximity, it denied a probably goal.

Leiston continued to try their luck from long-range, still lacking the accuracy to trouble Laurencin. When they got the ball into the penalty area, George McCluskey and James Fisher were in dominant form and few clear-cut chances went the Blues' way. There was one, for Luke Hammond, but Laurencin produced an excellent save by his near post.

Although Leiston set the pace and had the better of the possession, their defence looked shakier than Hendon's and when Ngoyi - or his replacement after an hour, Isaiah Rankin - or Charles made inroads, Potter had to be alert to the danger. Two more opportunities went Hendon’s way: a spectacular overhead effort from Murray went inches over the crossbar and a drive from Fisher was again saved by Potter.

Most of the match, however, was played in midfield, where the Maclaren brothers gave Hendon a slight edge. Kevin did much to break up Leiston's rhythm, while Casey was an often-threatening outlet, especially attacking Dunbar.

After Charles had been denied again by Potter, he was replaced by Jack Mazzone. Five minutes earlier, Carl McCluskey had beem introduced at the expense of Murray for his first outing of the season. It meant that the Greens had two pairs of brothers on the pitch for the first time since the 2007-08 season.

"It was very scrappy at the end," admitted Hendon manager Gary McCann, "but I was pleased to get the win. We were very nervous, but that’s to be expected when you haven’t won in the league yet.

"I thought we defended very well in the second half, with James Fisher and George McCluskey outstanding. Although I think Leiston had more of the ball, we still created the better chances and if a couple of shots had been anywhere other than straight at their goalkeeper, we would have scored."