Hendon stage second-half fightback to overcome Hillingdon
Hendon captain Ger O'Donoghue scored a 75th-minute try to put Hendon out of sight. Pic: Paolo Minoli - Credit: Archant
Hendon staged a second-half comeback to overturn a 14-point deficit and pick up a bonus point with a 42-27 home win over Hillingdon Abbots in Herts/Middlesex Division Two.
The hosts trailed 27-13 at the interval but then took control after the break and scored 29 points without reply.
Hendon started brightly and man of the match Harry Charles burst up the hill to open the scoring in the second minute, while Mike Evans-Jones converted 7-0.
But the Abbots narrowed the gap with two easy penalties, and they then ran in three tries before the interval, with Hendon’s only responses coming from Evans-Jones’ boot as he slotted two penalties.
Hendon were well and truly on the back foot, but they had the slope in their favour after the turnaround, and they dominated completely.
You may also want to watch:
Charles touched down for the second time, avoiding a handful of tackles to dot down out wide, and winger Judah Simpson then finish off a back-line move, while Evans-Jones converted to cut the deficit to two pojnts at 27-25.
Mike Fawcett and Charles linked up well to give Hendon a five-metre scrum, and Lee Linale was twice held up as he attempted to score, but Fawcett crashed through for another converted try, and the hosts were now 32-27 ahead, just 20 minutes after thew break.
Most Read
- 1 Is lockdown working in north London? Here's what the latest data tells us
- 2 Royal Free's critical care beds 98pc full as Covid-19 cases top 500
- 3 Joan Bakewell fires legal threat to government over second Covid jab
- 4 O2 Centre: developer Landsec 'looking to re-provide' Sainsbury's
- 5 Hospital staff describe 'distressing' battle against rising Covid cases
- 6 Camden man charged with prostitution offences and sexual exploitation
- 7 Lord's Cricket Ground used as Covid-19 vaccination centre
- 8 Royal Mail delays in Hornsey 'could see Covid-19 vaccination letters missed'
- 9 One in ten people without symptoms Covid positive at Haringey centres
- 10 Billy Vunipola fails to impress as Saracens lose to Ealing
Hendon continued with play in the Abbots half and they missed a couple of penalty attempts, but it didn’t matter because captain Ger O’Donoghue scored out wide five minutes from time to give the home side a deserved cushion.
Second row Roddy Walsh then took on the Abbots defence and Linale created an overlap for Simpson, who scored again to secure a fifth try and a bonus point.
