Second half comeback spares Hendon's blushes.

Step 3 Southern League club Hendon FC, sealed a 3-2 victory against Step 5 United Counties club Deeping Rangers, in what was a game of two halves. Despite a brilliant display from The Step 5 club in the first half, going 2-0 up, three second half goals from Step 3 club Hendon secured the Greens' passage into the FA Cup 3rd Qualifying round.

A nervy start from both teams saw neither able to hold onto the ball. Deeping got the better of the opening ten minutes, pressing high and creating chances. Jordan MacLeod's pace caused the Hendon defence problems and drawing some pretty harsh tackles from the Greens' back line. In the 4th minute MacLeod sprinted down the left wing and sent a cross across the face of the Hendon net with no one on the end. A free kick from Deeping goalkeeper Lewis Elsom drew a save from Chris Grace, and the incoming Hendon forward blasted the rebound wide.

The game settled down as Hendon started to create chances of their own. One of them was from Ryan Hope who's 16th minute shot was blocked at the near post. The game then settled into a pattern of Hendon possession and Deeping counter attacks. It was one such counter attack that produced the opening goal. In the 22nd minute Jack Gurney got free on the right wing and sent in a cross that MacLeod headed home. 1-0. The goal seemed to draw little response from the home team. Despite Hendon's current top scorer Connor Calcutt being the main source of problems for Deeping; a one-two between him and Hope forcing a clearance, the Deeping back line seemed equal to it.

Another Deeping attack brought another goal, Dan Jarvis beating his man on the edge of the box and sending a shot curling inside the far post. 2-0. The 33rd minute saw Hendon's Loan man Tom Nyama, who had been sitting deep throughout the game come off injured and be replaced by forward Luca Valentine. Hendon pushed forward looking to pull one back, but were nearly caught on the counter, as Mooney sent his 38th minute shot beyond Grace's right hand post.

In stoppage time Kameron English had a chance to pull one back, cutting in from the inside but taking too long to shoot. The left footed efforted he did produce floated harmlessly wide.

Half time saw Hendon FC walk into the changing rooms a worrying 2-0 down.

It was adifferent Hendon in the second half. The opening 10 minutes was a siege on the Deeping goal. An own goal in the 46th minute and the Hendon forwards smelt blood. 2-1. Substitute Dan Williams sent his 49th minute shot blasting over the bar. A minute later Valentine, under heavy pressure from the Deeping defence, sent a cross in from the left flank that no-one got on the end of. In the 52nd minute Valentine headed over a cross from English on the right. Seconds later Valentine broke through on the Deeping goal. The crowd urginging him to shoot but the striker opting to dribble around goalkeeper Elsom, only for the nineteen year old to dispossess him. In the 54th minute Williams headed English's cross against the bar.

A Deeping resurgence saw Dan Jarvis under pressure from Hendon's defenders, punt his 56th minute effort wide. Hendon were undeterred, and in the 66th minute the equaliser came. Calcutt and English linking up beautifully with the number 11 slotting home the number 9's cross. 2-2. Four minutes later and once again it was Calcutt and English. This time English drew Elsom to his near post before tapping across the face of goal for Calcutt to finish off. 3-2.

The last twenty minutes was far from comfortable for Hendon. A 75th minute attack from Deeping forced a of top class save from Grace. However, Hendon continued threaten on the counter attack. Kameron English who had really come into his own in the second half, broke free again on the right wing and sent a cross into the box. Bafflingly, only Valentine was there making a comfortable taske for the much taller Deeping center backs to clear. A late stoppage time siege on the Hendon goal forced and goal line clearance and a top class save from Grace. There was no question that Hendon, had made hard work of this game and had only just edged it. Still though, when it was all over, Hendon Football Club were the ones progressing to the next round.