AFC Portchester recorded their first back-to-back wins in the league at Step 4 level after coming from behind to beat Hendon.

After some disappointing results, Gav Spurway’s side showed their battling qualities once again to back up the three points they got against Ascot United in their previous home game.

In truth Portchester should have been out of sight before the visitors took the lead against the run of play midway through the first half – the home side spurned a hatful of good chances in the opening 20 minutes of the game.

They could have gone in front in the opening minute when a cross from the right found Zack Willett at the far post but he missed the target from close range.

Willett’s pace was a constant thorn in the side of the visiting defence and on 11 minutes a ball from midfield sent him racing clear on the right. He took the ball into the box and keeper Joshua Strizovic had to get down quickly to save his low shot.

Willett fired off the same kind of shot five minutes later after the defence had given the ball away to him but again Strizovic saved his low shot.

On 18 minutes Lee Wort excellently brought a high ball under control and this gave him the chance to shoot but he dragged his effort wide.

In the next attack Wort had another opportunity, which this time was blocked by a defender and several follow up efforts were also blocked before Hendon could clear the ball to safety.

The visitors stunned the Royals when they took the lead following a break down the right. The ball was pulled back into the path of Niko Muir and he dispatched his low shot past keeper Steven Mowthorpe and into the net.

Portchester recovered though and drew level on 34 minutes. A defender missed the chance to clear a cross from the right at the near post and the ball ran to Willett, who tapped it home from close range.

Hendon rallied again in the closing minutes of the first half and went close to re-taking the lead on two occasions.

Rohdell Gordon’s free kick from 20 yards out was saved by Mowthorpe and the re-bound dropped to Muir but he blasted his shot over.

Kyron Richards then broke clear down the right and after taking the ball into the penalty area he unleashed a shot which a defender got back in time to block behind for a corner.

The visiting keeper was in inspired form in the second half as he denied the home side what looked like certain goals on several occasions.

On 54 minutes Strizovic managed to push Willett’s shot away and two minutes later when Alfie Stanley flicked a free kick towards goal the keeper somehow managed to adjust his body in time to make the save.

Jack Lee then headed a corner over before Wort almost put the Royals in front on 68 minutes. A cross from the left found him on the right side of the box and his first time shot was flying into the top corner at the near post before Strizovic threw himself upwards to acrobatically push the ball around the post.

Both sides looked certain to score in the space of 20 seconds on 72 minutes. Hendon’s Keegan Cole hit a shot from eight yards out that was going in until a defender blocked it.

The ball was then cleared long down the pitch for Stanley to chase and after winning possession he hit a shot goalwards but Strizovic again somehow managed to block the ball.

The winner came on 77 minutes in a move which started on the right. Wort played the ball across the pitch to the left and an inswinging cross was glanced towards goal by Stanley and this time Strizovic was unable to prevent the ball from bouncing into the net.