Tower Hamlets overcame sixth-placed Hoddesdon in a much-needed win for the home side at Mile End Stadium on Saturday.

Darnell Coker’s 81st-minute strike earnt Hamlets a deserved victory despite a poor display in the first hour.

After a lacklustre start to the first half, the first chance came by Hoddesdon in the 20th minute as Hamlets’ Montell Williams was disposed in the midfield by Courtney Clay whose drilled shot was calmly saved by Charles Carey.

Hoddesdon had a penalty appeal turned down as Aiden Catchley played through Joss Lillis on the left hand side and he tapped it past the keeper and looked to have gone down too gently for the referee to award a spot-kick.

Tower Hamlets managed just one chance in the first half as good build-up play on the right hand side by Kris Queeley and Coker forced Aaron Bull into action for the first half.

Both teams continued to struggle to create chances in the second half as Hamlets saw Amon Walton-Owens cut in from the left but sky his shot well over the bar.

The best opening of the game came 20 minutes before the final whistle as Hamlets saw a double chance saved by the visiting goalkeeper and by the post.

Ezekial Kamara set up Coker whose volley was pushed past the post and then straight after Christian Udo’s diagonal cross was knocked down by captain Luke With and Kamara’s shot rebounded off the skipper to hit the post.

Hamlets perseverance paid off in the final 10 minutes as they broke the deadlock thanks to Coker when Walton-Owens’ chipped pass fell to Coker and his tricks got the better of Scott Hayes and his strike nestled in the top right hand corner to take the lead.

Hoddesdon came close to a dramatic equaliser late on as a free kick on the left side was whipped into the box, but a goalbound header was kept out by Carey to secure all three points for the hosts.

Tower Hamlets: Charles Carey, Kris Queeley, Amon Walton-Owen, Montell Williams, Scott Elliot, Adebola Oluwo, Christian Udo, Flavid Jumo, Luke With, Ezekial Kamara, Darnel Coker.