Hendon reached the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup with an extra-time defeat of Leyton in what was probably the final FA Cup tie to be staged at Claremont Road. The October 30 match at Stevenage Borough will be Hendon's first appearance in the 4th qualifying round in four seasons.

Both teams made one change from Saturday, Mark Burgess coming in for Danny Julienne in the Hendon team, while Ian Bass took over from Scott Honeyball for Leyton. Without question, it was the Greens who profited more from the altered teams.

Lucky to be in the competition following a dire display at Leyton, Hendon started the replay in similar style, although the chances Leyton missed in the opening 15 minutes were not as clear-cut as they had been at Lea Bridge Road. However, after another defensive slip, Leyton took the lead thanks to Manny WILLIAMS predatory 20th-minute strike.

With better finishing Leyton would have put the tie beyond reach in the opening half hour. Instead, a moment of indecision between Bass and Jim Hasell gifted Hendon an equaliser in the 34th minute, Eugene OFORI shooting home through the goalkeepers fingers as he dived at the ball.

After around 120 minutes of almost complete futility, Hendon were again back in the tie, but this time they took advantage of their good fortune. Hasell redeemed himself with a good save from Ofori late in the first half.

The second half was an injury-riddled, 55-minute affair, during which time Hendon held the upper hand for long spells. Hasell produced two superb saves to deny first Ofori, then Frendo, but he should have been beaten by the corner that resulted from the second save as René Street blasted over the bar from six yards out.

In the 60th minute, Hasell fumbled a shot from Mark Nicholls and as he dived to gather the ball, he took a kick on the head from Ofori. Referee Graham Horwood, who had another outstanding game in the middle, lectured Ofori for his kick, but the ball was loose and although the strikers kick may have been dangerous, he had been entitled to go for it.

After five or six minutes of treatment Hasell, although somewhat dazed, bravely continued. The break in the action allowed Leyton to regroup and they had a good spell of almost seven minutes, during which time Hendon struggled to get out of their own half.

However, once they had done so, the Greens came close to taking the lead. Hasell and Simon Peddie were both injured in a goalmouth scramble which saw the goalkeeper make a fine save to deny Nicholls and former Hendon favourite Roy Parkyn clear another effort, from Richard McDonagh, off the line.

The game turned in a five minute spell midway through the extended second half. First, Leyton playmaker Mark Sophocleous limped off injured and then Scott Curley was dismissed for a headbutt on Ofori seconds after he had fouled him.

Ofori, who had been booked for a petulant display of dissent a short while earlier, got up angrily after Curleys challenge but did little to merit the second attack. The loss of the two players meant that, for the first time, Leyton lacked a cutting edge.

Although Dave King produced a stunning save in the first minute of extra time, tipping over a dipping drive from Michael Deane, it was Hendon were in control during overtime. In the 94th minute, Ross Pickett came on for the largely ineffective John Frendo and the substitution paid dividends within seven minutes.

In the 100th minute Ofori saw his header from a Dave Nolan cross palmed over the crossbar by Hasell. From McDonaghs corner, PICKETT got in front of Hasell and guided a header home from six yards out.

Five minutes into the second period of extra-time, NICHOLLS sealed the tie. He did well to get around the tiring Peddie and, from a very acute angle curled a cross just inside the far post. He admitted afterwards that he had not aimed at goal, "but I was very happy with where the ball ended up."

Hendon manager Tony Choules was, understandably delighted with the result, saying, "I said on Saturday that we couldnt play as badly again. Almost from when Eugene equalised I had the impression we were going to get our noses in front, but the sending off certainly changed the game."