Hendon staged a remarkable comeback against local rivals Wingate and Finchley to secure their first Ryman League Cup win since 2006 on Tuesday night.

Gary McCann’s side have not triumphed in the competition since beating Flackwell Heath 4-2 in September 2006, but ended that run by coming from 3-0 down to beat Wingate and Finchley 4-3 at The Harry Abrahams Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The Blues made the ideal start, as with their first meaningful attack, they took the lead through Nico Muir. Richard Graham made progress down the left and swung in a good ball which the forward cleverly tucked home at the near post.

Hendon almost responded in the 19th minute when Sam Murphy clipped a tantalising cross to the back post, where Leon Smith fired back across the face of goal, only to see his effort cleared off the line by a covering Wingate defender.

Just two minutes later, Wingate and Finchley doubled their lead. A right-wing centre reached Ola Sogbanmu in the middle and the midfielder diverted beyond Brendan Hazlett first time at the near post.

Shortly after the half-hour mark, the home side grabbed a third from a ruthless breakaway. Following a Hendon corner, Rob Laney was the man on hand followingg in after Hazlett had blocked, but failed to grasp, an initial effort.

Max McCann – son of Greens boss Gary – then notched his first in Hendon colours in the 36th minute to drag the visitors back into the contest, stabbing home after Kezie Ibe had drawn a good stop from Jack Metcalfe.

Six minutes before the break, Hendon came within one goal of their hosts. A ball over the top for Peter Dean drew Blues defender Kieran Street into an ill-advised challenge inside the 18-yard box, leaving the referee with little choice but to dismiss the centre-back.

From the resulting penalty, Sam Murphy stroked beyond Metcalfe to the goalkeeper’s right.

Another header off the line denied Hendon an equaliser before the break and Lee O’Leary also went close, slamming wide on the run.

Hendon began the second half in the ascendancy, denying the ten men of Wingate and Finchley the possession with which to create anyway.

An inch-perfect pass from Murphy created the equaliser, Smith racing onto the midfielder’s searching ball, evading the challenge of Metcalfe and thrashing into an empty net to tie the score up at 3-3.

Blues’ Leon Fisher twice almost put his side back in front but was first denied by a deflection and then by the reactions of Hazlett in the Hendon goal.

Deputising at full-back, Andre Da Costa tested Metcalfe with a 20-yard free-kick, before with two minutes remaining, Hendon snatched a fortuitous winner.

Substitute Ryan Palmer swung in a cross from the left and, sensing he needed to get something on it, Sogbanmu stooped to deflect beyond Metcalfe at his near post and send Hendon into round two and set up a trip to Enfield Town.

Wingate & Finchley: Metcalfe; Marsh-Brown, Street, Rifat, Wright; Lake, Fisher, Sogbanmu, Graham (McCluskey); Laney (Sharpe), Muir.

Not used: Nielsen, Read, Smith (GK).

Hendon: Hazlett; da Costa, Braithwaite, Flegg, Sprague (Taggart); Murphy, O’Leary, McCann, Dean (Morgan); Ibe, Smith (Palmer).

Not used: Wallace, Diedhiou.