Hendon overcame very tough opposition in Hythe Town as they reached the quarter-finals of the Velocity Trophy (Isthmian League Cup). Trailing to an early goal, efforts from Keagan Cole and Kezie Ibe saw the Greens take the lead just before the interval and they held on through a difficult second half.

Only three of the starting line-up from the FA Trophy tie at Slough seven days earlier were in immediate action at Hythe, Rian Bray, Dave Diedhiou and Zak Joseph, who had been rested against Thurrock at the weekend. There was a debut for Cameron Currie at left-back and on the bench was another under-18s starlet in William Murphy, who also made his first-team bow. In fact the four Hendon subs had a combined age of 77 years and 1 month.

Hythe could not have made a much better start. In the third minute, Ryan Palmer, who spent a short period at Hendon in 2014-15, received a pass from Keiron Campbell and his effort went into the ide netting at the near post.

A minute later they had the lead. Sid Sollis got the better of Harly Wise as they chased a through ball and the striker held off the defender before scoring from an increasing acute angle.

Eight minutes later, Tom Lovelock was called into action as Campbell broke from midfield and when no one came to stop or slow his progress, he fired a 20-yard shot. Lovelock caught the ball just under the crossbar.

In the 14th minute, the Greens drew level. Channing Campbell-Young passed down the right flank to Joseph, who cut inside and fed the ball to the feet of Kezie Ibe. The skipper rolled a pass to Josh Walker, who saw his shot parried by Louis Lawlor.

First to attack the rebound was Keagan Cole, but the goalkeeper was again equal to the effort. That is where Lawlor’s luck ran out because the ball again fell to Cole and he lifted it over the prone goalkeeper into the net.

Solis could have had a 20-minute hat-trick. A couple of minutes after the equaliser, he saw an early shot blocked by Lovelock, who was quick enough to gather the ball before a Hythe team-mate could reach it. And, in the 20th minute, Solis ran clear of Bray and fired a shot which struck the inside of the far post and Lovelock dived on the rebound as it rolled back across the face of the goal.

Chances came thick and fast at both ends. Campbell saw his effort saved by Lovelock and then Joseph had a free-kick deflected away for a corner and Campbell-Young was inches over the crossbar with a 20-yard drive, an effort the referee ruled had taken a deflection.

Just before half-time, Hendon scored what proved to be the winner. Walker again played a key role and his shot was parried by the home goalkeeper, right into the path of Ibe, who steadied himself before finding the net, almost unchallenged from eight yards out.

On the one hand, it was hard luck on Lawlor, but he allowed the ball to get away from him for both goals, on neither occasion did a defender react, and - most importantly - Hendon players were ready, willing and able to pounce on the scraps which came their way.

In first half stoppage time, a free kick was played into the Hendon penalty area and Mitchell Dickenson rose above everyone to head the ball towards goal. He was a little off target, however and the ball bounced just wide of the left post.

Three minutes into the second half Jerson Dos Santos picked out Will Thomas who made a late run into the penalty area. The midfielder steadied himself and although he shot past Lovelock, he had given Bray just enough time to get back to the goalline, where he effected a sprawling clearance. Dos Santos then fired straight at Lovelock, who made an easy save.

Hythe struggled to keep Walker under control and he nearly made it 3-1 in the 54th minute. He strode clear of Ben Wilson and drilled a 25-yard shot which Lawlor pushed over the crossbar with a superb full-length save. Lawlor then had a much easier save when Cole, Ibe and Joseph combined before Joseph fired off a shot.

The hosts then had two chances in a couple of minutes. First a Hendon defender cleared a shot close to his line, then Dos Santos curled a free-kick into the side-netting outside a post.

It was something of a surprise that there were no second half goals because Diedhiou, Ibe and Matt Ball combined to set up Joseph, but he could not quite divert the ball past well-placed Lawlor. And, with 12 minutes to go, Wise struck a 45-yard free-kick which Lawlor tipped over the crossbar as he back-pedalled furiously.

Then it was the turn of Ibe and Cole to go close, the striker probably should have got off a shot before setting up his teenaged team-mate and rebound almost fell to Murphy. But the Greens had enough about them to see out time.