Hendon ended their Ryman League campaign with another victory, making it 23 matches unbeaten since the last day of January, this time overcoming the stern challenge offered by Leiston. Although the match could never be described as full-blooded or physical, it was, nonetheless, an entertaining contest which was in doubt right the way to the final whistle.

Hendon were able to recall Casey Maclaren, Charlie Goode, Lee O'Leary and Kezie Ibe, while Peter Dean, Aaron Morgan and Roman Michael-Percil dropped to the bench and Michael Murray missed out. The other two substitutes, neither used, were Kevin Maclaren and Adam Wallace. Leiston named four substitutes, only two of whom could be used.

Leiston got off to a flying start, scoring inside two minutes. Hendon lost possession deep in their own half and the ball was quickly played to Joe Francis.

He looked up and saw Tom Winter in yards of space, so passed to him. WInter took a touch to control the ball and then drove it off the outstretched hand of Brendan Hazlett into the roof of the net.

The lead might have been doubled in the 18th minute, but Connor Hubble's curling free-kick was acrobatically tipped around the post by Hazlett. Hendon, clearly tired, were struggling to get a foothold in the match, but such is their confidence that they still came close to equalising.

In the 21st minute, the ball came to Leon Smith, who controlled the ball and then fired just over the crossbar. They then won a free-kick when Danny Cunningham pulled down Kezie Ibe.

The striker stayed down for a few moments, holding his knee, but when he got up without requiring treatment, the sighs of relief were probably audible miles away. Unfortunately, the free-kick was blocked by the wall.

Hendon came out for the second half looking altogether more purposeful and dangerous. And after Smith had seen a shot blocked, the Greens equalised with a superb goal in the 59th minute.

Smith started the move and laid a pass into the path of Ibe. He took the ball past Joe Jefford and struck a superb, curling shot into the roof of the net, his 27th goal of the season. Danny Gay, the Leiston goalkeeper, admitting this was an unstoppable strike, noted, "If I had been standing by that post, I am not sure I would have saved it."

Dean replaced Maclaren after 62 minutes. This was a planned substitution, the midfielder having come through the game without a problem.

Six minutes later, Leiston almost regained the lead when Winter saw his effort cleared off the line by Goode. It was a reminder that the Blues - who wore their red away kit - still carried more than a hint of danger, and Dave Diedhiou, Sam Flegg, Goode and Sprague certainly didn't have it easy, while Hazlett made two or three eye-catching saves.

A couple of minutes after Patrick Brothers had replaced Cunningham, Hendon responded with a double change, Morgan and Michael-Percil taking over from Sprague and O'Leary. And, barely two minutes later, Morgan played a part in what turned out to be the winning goal.

Ibe, once again a thorn in the Leiston side, held up the ball well and fed it to Morgan. The substitute took a touch, saw Smith making a run into space and laid the ball perfectly into his path.

Gay was quickly off his line, but Smith smacked the ball past him. It nestled in the bottom corner to give the striker his 24th goal of the season and ensuring for the first-time in more than 15 years, the Greens had a pair of strikers with 50 goals between them (Junior Lewis, 28, and Paul Whitmarsh, 42, shared 70 in 1998–99).

There was more than enough time for the drama to continue. Michael-Percil was given the chance to score his first Hendon goal from a free-kick, taking it instead of Andre Da Costa. He saw his goalbound effort superbly tipped aside by Gay, while Hazlett did even better to keep out an effort from Hubble, this from open play.

Then, in the last of almost four minutes of added time, Leiston were awarded a free-kick, right on the edge of the Hendon penalty area. They first thought the referee was awarding a penalty, but he stopped inches from the edge of the box.

Hubble, who had gone so close in the first half, and Stuart Boardley discussed the options. It was Hubble who stepped over the ball and Boardley who struck it, and Hendon were mightily pleased to see and hear the ball clang off the inside of the far post and bounce out towards the opposite touchline, where the clearance was completed.

There was barely time for the throw-in to be taken before the final whistle was blown. It marked the end of Hendon's best League season since the amateur days when they were runners-up to Wycombe Wanderers in 1973–74, having amassed 88 points from 42 matches.