Hendon can count themselves a little bit lucky to come away from a chilly Earlsmead with a Ryman League Premier Division point against a plucky East Thurrock United side on Saturday afternoon.

The Greens stuck to the same starting 11 as has had produced the FA Trophy surprise against Oxford City a week earlier, but there were two changes on the substitutes bench, Michael Murray and Dave Diedhiou making way for Junior Lewis and Aaron Morgan.

In an entertaining game, which swung hither and thither, Hendon snatched an equaliser against a feisty Essex side that seemed destined to leave with all three points.

Hendon edged the first half, with the reward coming in the shape of a Lee O'Leary strike in the 45th minute.

Michael Bryan delivered a good cross which Carl McCluskey headed down and O'Leary did the rest. A regular goalscorer until being blighted by injuries, it was only his second goal for the club since January 2011.

The half-time whistle followed almost immediately and the goal possibly flattered Hendon, because the first half had been a very evenly matched contest.

East Thurrock, struggling to pull clear of the relegation zone, came out of the traps faster in the second half. Their enterprise was rewarded with Jason Hallett netting with a fine strike less than five minutes after the resumption.

Hendon made two changes midway through the half, Dean Cracknell and Tony Taggart replacing the men who had set up O'Leary for his goal.

The visitors continued to play some nice football, culminating in David Bryant's finish that put the visitors ahead in the 75th minute, capitalising on an error from Berkley Laurencin.

A spirited Hendon fight back ensued, with the home side piling on the pressure. And it took just seven minutes for the efforts to reap tangible benefits, the Greens equalising thanks to a smart Jefferson Louis header, his 16th goal of the season.

Almost immediately, Morgan came on for Anthony Thomas as Hendon went in search of the winner.

But East Thurrock, who had replaced Bryant with Ross Parmenter straight after Louis's equaliser, were equally committed to grabbing the goal which would have them brought all three points.

It was end-to-end stuff, with both teams exhibiting flair as they searched for a knock-out blow. However, the two defences held out, so in the end, a point each was probably a fair result, the teams cancelling each other out in an entertaining affair.