A point would have been enough, but the Robins closed their league campaign in style, recording their 14th away win in an amazing season to finish fourth and guarantee a place in the promotion play-offs away to Tonbridge Angels this Tuesday.

Hendon had secured their League status with a midweek win and also have an important London Cup Final in the coming week, but they put up a determined performance to pull a goal back in the last minute to make the result look closer than it really was.

The Robins dominated the first half hour with Charlie Ide getting in the first shot when Richard Jolly back-heeled the ball into his path only to see it pass outside the post.

Adrian Toppin headed Jamie England’s corner just wide and minutes later Jolly broke wide on the left and his low cross was inches away from the onrushing Barry Stevens.

Liam Harwood generally had the centre of the defence under control, but Robins’ keeper Richard Stroud was called into action when he flew across the goal to tip away a low shot from Jamie Busby and, shortly after, making a crisp save from a free kick by the Hendon midfielder.

In between these efforts a 3 man break by Carshalton was wasted when Charlie Ide chose to shoot from a wide position rather then play the ball into the path of Jolly or Stevens who were both well placed.

The game slowed down with half time approaching, but the Robins enjoyed a slice of good fortune when Lubo Guentchev’s wind-assisted shot from the right moved in the air only to hit the far post before being hacked away by David Graves.

With the wind behind them in the second half the Robins tightened the screw and Charlie Ide was denied by the legs of William Viner when he broke unchallenged through the middle.

England’s subsequent corner found Jolly at the far post and, although his close range shot was blocked, a goal was clearly on its way.

On 49 minutes it duly arrived with Richard Jolly’s free kick from just outside the area that found its way through the defensive wall and past the unsighted Viner to put Carshalton in front.

The Robins were forced into a change shortly after with Simon Cooper coming on in place of Dean Carpenter who had taken a knock in the first half, but there was no stopping the Robins at this point and Barry Stevens was causing all sorts of problems with his direct runs as Carshalton stepped up the pressure.

Stevens astute pass through the middle found Charlie Ide and although the Robins striker’s first shot was blocked by Viner, he seized on the rebound to take the ball wide before passing it into the net.

Urged on by their travelling support the Robins were playing with confidence and assurance and Hendon’s introduction of 2 substitutes made little difference to the pattern of play.

Marc Leach’s tackle on Stevens should have been the subject of a caution, but this would have been out of context in a game that had been played in a good spirit and, with victory seemingly in the bag, Hayden Bird took off Stevens and Jolly to keep them fresh for the additional game coming their way on Tuesday.

It was only at this late stage that the Robins slowed the down the pace allowing the home team back into the game.

Stroud had to be alert when he took off to clutch a header by Hunt, but he could do little about James Burgess’ close range shot from a well placed corner that turned out to be the last serious kick of an enjoyable afternoon.

The Robins have been a credit to the game playing an open and entertaining brand of football for much of the season and their late surge in the final weeks has earned them the right to one and maybe two extra games at the end of an intriguing campaign.

Robins team: Richard Stroud, David Graves, Dean Carpenter (Simon Cooper), Liam Harwood, Lewis Gonsalves, Bashir Alimi, Barry Stevens (Ryan Martin), Adrian Toppin, Richard Jolly (Junior Kadi), Jamie England Sub not used: Karl Beckford