Hendon brushed aside the challenge of Worthing to reach the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy. It was a confident and clinical performance against opponents who could have proved to be a banana skin if the Greens had been anything less than professional and disciplined in their attitude.

With Elliott Brathwaite completing his suspension, Charlie Goode cup-tied and both Casey Maclaren and Oliver Sprague still injured, the only change to the Hendon starting line-up saw Andre Da Costa back in the first eleven. It also meant a realignment of the defensive formation.

Worthing started the game brightly and were on top in the first 10 minutes. In the second minute, a cross flashed across the Hendon penalty area, but no Rebel could get a decisive touch. Three minutes later, Terry Dodd, who has caused Hendon problems when playing for both Bognor Regis Town and Lewes in the last two years, fired a shot which forced Ben McNamara into an excellent save.

Once Hendon got going, however, the result was rarely in doubt. In the 12th minute, the Greens had the ball in the Worthing net, Chris Seeby getting the final touch. His celebration was stilled by an offside decision from the assistant referee, but it was a very close call for the Rebels.

Seven minutes later, there was no flag as Hendon took the lead. Peter Dean and Corey heath challenged for a ball on the edge of the penalty area and it bounced loose.

Fastest to react was Da Costa, who found himself in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Jack Fagan. Da Costa confidently took the ball around the goalkeeper and rolled it into the empty net.

In the next 10 minutes, Hendon were thwarted twice by Fagan and once by the referee's whistle. Sam Murphy saw his effort saved by Fagan in the 21st minute and, four minutes later, Dave Diedhiou saw his cross go straight into the net, but the referee had spotted an infringement inside the Rebels' penalty area and awarded Worthing a free-kick.

Leon Smith, who has continued to perform well while racking up assists if not netting the goals his efforts merited, then saw his powerful shot well saved by Fagan. It seemed as if the second goal was imminent, but for the remainder of the first half, the Greens became a little frustrated and their play was a little less incisive.

In fact, the best chance in the last quarter-hour of the half fell to Worthing, when quick counter-attack saw the Rebels have a three-on-two advantage which ended a with Dodd shot well-saved by McNamara who pushed the ball away. The rebound went across the goal and Harvey Sparks failed to divert the ball into the net as he threw himself at the ball.

Such was Hendon's comfortable control that they made a positional change in defence, and it actually strengthened the Greens. Worthing again started the half well, but this time they didn't trouble the defence, superbly marshalled by James Fisher.

In the 54th minute, Kezie Ibe, who gave the Worthing defence fits, almost set up Peter Dean, but a defensive deflection sent the ball closer to Fagan, who gathered the ball before Dean could reach it.

Five minutes later, Hendon got the second goal that their approach play deserved. Kevin Maclaren played a ball into the feet of Ibe, who brought the ball under control, turned past Corey Heath and blasted the ball into the roof of the net.

Midway through the half, Dean and Da Costa were replaced by Lee O'Leary and Belal Aite-Ouakrim, respectively, while Lloyd Dawes came on for Omar Bugiel. Chasing the game, Worthing's change was an attacking one, but they needed defensive help, especially as Seeby and Tony Taggart were becoming ever more influential in raids down the wing.

Both players were involved in the build-up to the third goal, after 71 minutes. The move started with Seeby and when Murphy and Smith helped the ball across the pitch, O'Leary and Taggart combined. When Taggart struck a powerful, low cross, or shot, along the edge of six-yard-box, Ibe pounced to lift the ball over Fagan via the underside of the crossbar into the net.

Two minutes later, Adam Wallace replaced Ibe, the Greens' final change. Worthing then made their second change, sending on Jaz Rance after withdrawing skipper Matt Hurley.

The Rebels then had their best chances of the half in the space of a couple of minutes. First, a corner was cleared downfield, but the final ball was overhit. Then, Dawes carved out an opening, which resulted in a shot requiring an acrobatic save by McNamara. A couple of crosses were also confidently gathered by the Hendon goalkeeper.

Two minutes from the end of normal time, O'Leary controlled the ball on his chest just inside the penalty area. He tried to move forward, but was knocked over by Matt Axel.

Although a clear-cut and easy decision for the referee to make, it was a soft penalty in that there was no imminent danger and there was neither malice nor force in Axel's challenge. Murphy confidently despatched the spot-kick, drilling the ball past Fagan, who dived the wrong way anyway.