esday evening. The win gives the 'Fleet an FA Umbro Trophy 5th round tie at home to Nationwide Conference team Stalybridge Celtic.

Unchanged from the weekend, Hendon were forced onto the back foot from the opening whistle, but Mark Cooper and Steve Butler were magnificent in limiting Paul Booth and Craig to few worthwhile efforts. Mark Burgess and Simon Clarke had their hands full dealing with Jimmy Jackson and Steve McKimm, respectively, and they did well too.

In the 14th minute, Wilkins thought he had opened the scoring, but the assistant referee had his flag raised and the goal was disallowed for offside by referee Mr M Postles.

Three minutes later, from just about their only attack of note in the first half, Hendon almost scored. Byron Bubb ran at the Gravesend defence and when he spotted an opening, he tried his luck from 25 yards. The ball was not struck particularly powerfully, but Jamie Turner somehow let the ball slip through his arms. He looked around, almost daring the ball to enter the goal before, realising that it would, grabbing it a few inches from the line.

Gravesend have often been more dangerous on the counter-attack, and this was proved in the 34th minute when David Hook was almost caught out by a long, hopeful ball from Robert Owen. The wind took the ball away from him, but Jackson's effort went into the side netting.

Turning around goalless at half-time, Hendon will have been happier than their hosts, proved by Gravesend replacing the ineffective Danny Lye with the more creative Darren Smith. Hendon started the second half in a more positive vein than the first. Jon-Barrie Bates began to exert a little more pressure on the Gravesend midfield. The problem was that the rest of the midfield, Steve Forbes, Paul Yates and Bubb, struggled to link up with Eugene Ofori and Martin Randall, leaving the front men rather isolated.

In the 64th minute, Smith astutely switched play from right to left and found Jackson in space. He delivered an accurate cross when WILKINS despatched into the net without fuss. It was the first time that Gravesend had really broken the shackles imposed upon them.

The goal opened up the game and probably played more into Gravesend's hands. In the 78th minute, Paul Towler and Ricci Crace replaced Burgess and Yates, respectively, and the latter should have equalised within a minute of coming on. He timed his run into the penalty area perfectly to meet a cross from the left wing. His header flew a long way wide of the target.

Within 3 minutes, Gravesend made the game safe when JACKSON lost his marker at a free kick from Steve McKimm and bundled the ball home from close range.

Showing great heart, Hendon fought back and, almost immediately, Towler headed over the bar from a corner. The goal of the game arrived in the 86th minute and it went to Hendon. FORBES collected the ball on the angle of the penalty area, turned a defender and curled a magnificent shot into the far top corner.

In stoppage time, Bubb had the chance to earn a draw with a 30-yard free-kick, but he curled the ball high and wide of the target.

"We did nothing in the first half," admitted manager Dave Anderson, philosophically. "I think there was little to choose between the teams in the second half, but the better team definitely won. Their centre halves, Francis Duku and Nick Burton, are superb and we had to take any chances came our way, because we knew there weren't going to be many. Nevertheless, we have improved an awful lot since we came here in September."