Hendon 2 Kingstonian 1

The Ks looked dangerous upfront in the first half and it was no surprise on 16 minutes when a lethal effort by striker Carl Wilson-Denis put the visitors ahead.

But after the break the Greens set about the Ks with grim determination and it paid off with an equalizer from sub Casey Maclaren on the hour mark.

As the game seemed destined to end a draw one last tired tackle from Ks centre-back John Fletcher, who had enjoyed a flawless game, saw him upend Greens sub Lubimor Guentchev deep in the Ks box. Upstepped sub Harry Hunt, who kept his cool, and converted the spotkick keeping his side on the Wembley road.

The Ks return to their league campaign next Saturday (October 3rd) with another trip to the seaside, this time it's Margate.

Hendon took the game to the Ks right from the off. Winger Wayne O'Sullivan sending in three efforts in the first five minutes.

On eight minutes Glenn Gardner blasted over from 25 yards.

The Ks first effort on goal was a corner from Matt Gray which ended with a Fletcher header straight at Greens keeper James Reading. On 11 minutes the Ks went close when Reading did extremely well to tip over a stinging drive from K's striker Bobby Traynor.

A Gray corner found Fletcher again but this time he fired over first time. On 16 minutes the K's opened the scoring when Dean Lodge took off in his own half finding Traynor out on the right.

His low defence-splitting ball picked out fellow striker CARL WILSON-DENIS who turned in the Greens box and he walloped the ball home into the far corner.

Then a Traynor header picked out Fletcher in the Hendon goalmouth but an offside was spotted before he could see the ball home.

On 27 minutes an on-target Des Boateng lob didn't worry Reading too much. On the half-hour a Peter Dean free-kick from the left picked out defender Mark Kirby on the far post but his header only found the side-netting much to his frustration.

With a minute to the break Traynor chased a through ball deep into the Hendon box but Reading made a fine, firm tackle to block.

Then Karl Beckford tried to lob Reading from distance but the ball went over.

In additional time O'Sullivan sized up an edge of the Ks box free-kick but his effort floated out.

The second half started with a run from Gardner into the K's box where Beckford stopped his progress and cleared upfield. Gray floated in a long, high free-kick for Simon Huckle but the ball went out.

The Greens started to apply serious pressure that led to the equalizer. Gardner out on the left fired over. An on-target drive from Greens defender Dave Diedhiou was smothered by Luke Garrard.

Then in the sixtieth minute Craig Vargas took off down the left and his pinpoint cross found CASEY MACLAREN running into the Ks goalmouth and he immediately fired home low past a stranded Garrard. Both Traynor and Gardner had a go from distance.

On 69 minutes though it looked the K's would would resume their lead when a clever Gray free-kick set Traynor free and unmarked deep in the home box but with a one-on-one with Reading he skied the ball over.

Wilson-Denis tried his luck from the edge of the Greens box but Reading smothered. A Gray throw then found Wilson-Denis, in almost the

same position out on the right, but this time his effort was straight at Reading. Gray then found sub Christian Jolley who tried to curl the ball past Reading from the edge of the Hendon box.

On 78 minutes a Gardner run down the right saw him cut in and left loose a powerful drive but it was straight at Garrard.

Then the Ks went close again when Lee Hall found the confident Wilson-Denis on the edge of the away box, he set up Traynor who unleashed a rocket of a shot which Reading did wonders to block.

Gardner responded again with a penetrating run down the right deep into the Ks box but this time he blasted over. Hendon pushed up for one last desperate push to avoid a replay.

On 84 minutes a Dean free-kick was on-target but a diving Garrard mopped up. With two minutes to go an unmarked but overstretched Casey Maclaren in the Ks goalmouth headed straight at Garrard.

Two minutes into additional time Fletcher bundled over Guentchev in the K's box.

Up stepped HARRY HUNT to send the spotkick home to the left corner, an unlucky Garrard guessed right, but the penalty was well-struck.

K's. 1. Luke Garrard (capt) 2. Matt Gray 3. Lee Hall 4. Max Hustwick 5. John Fletcher 6. Simon Huckle 7. Karl Beckford (sub Rob Sheridan, 30mins) 8. Des Boateng 9. Bobby Traynor 10. Carl Wilson-Denis 11. Dean Lodge (sub Christian Jolley, 57mins).

Subs: 12. Lewis Cook (not used) 13. Ashlee Jones (G/k - not used) 14. Rob Sheridan 15. Francis Duku (not used) 16. Christian Jolley 17. Tommy Williams (not used) 18. Joel Ledgister (not used).

Attendance: 226