Hendon’s reward for overcoming the challenge of higher level Weymouth is an away trip to former FA Premier League club, Oldham Athletic, in the fourth round of the Isuzu FA Trophy.
Saturday saw them run out 2-0 winners over their Vanarama National League South opponents with Billy Leonard playing his part with a lively performance that was rewarded as he notched the second goal.
“I am buzzing to get to this stage of the competition for the second year in a row and what a draw it is for us,” Leonard told us. “I was happy to play my part on Saturday in what was a deserved victory with everyone making a contribution.
“It was an immense effort from the boys; for my goal, Kai Brosnan ran the length of the pitch and put it on a plate for me to just tap in.
“The win has given us a huge boost and whilst we are excited for the next round now, we have to put that on the back-burner for a while and concentrate on adding points to our League tally.
“We know that on our day, we are capable of beating anyone in this League and also causing problems from teams from the level above.
“This is a chance to really build some momentum now and get some consistency to take into what is a busy period ahead going into the festive season.
“It’s been a solid season so far for the team and there’s a real buzz around the place, even before Saturday’s win. We know that there have been points we’ve dropped earlier in the season from winning positions, but there’s a winning mentality now and a real determination to push on.
“The season has been decent so far for me personally. I’ve played every game and have six goals to my name, so I’m happy, although there is always room for improvement in my performances.
“The target and aims for the team is to try and go on a winning run by taking it game-by-game and not looking too far ahead, particularly now that the Oldham game has come onto the horizon.
“Hopefully I can continue to play regularly and get to double figures in goals as quickly as possible.”
Hendon sit just outside the top ten having lost just five of their 19 League games so far. They host Didcot Town on Tuesday evening.
The Isuzu FA Trophy fourth round draw handed Coalville Town an away trip to Bath City if they can first overcome Walsall Wood, whilst Redditch United will host Barnet if they beat Radcliffe.
IMAGE: D. Beech Photography
