Hendon stage second-half fightback to overcome Hillingdon

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.

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.

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.