Hendon went out of a second cup inside 72-hours as they slipped out of the Southern League Challenge Cup at the first hurdle to local rivals Harrow Borough. Whilst the seven-goal scoreline suggests a night of champagne football the reality was that the fayre on offer was more imitation than true sparkle.

Lee Allinson's injury-hit squad received a further blow in the warm-up as Simeon Olalerin pulled up, Juan Pablo Gonzalez Verlasco replaced him at right-back leaving just three men on the substitutes bench, one of which was goalkeeper Dan Purdue.

The league match between the two sides 8-days previously had been a stodgy turgid affair, however without the pressure of league points at stake this one was much more open. Neither defence convinced and it was the visitor's back-four that was breached first on 18 minutes as Lewis Hobbs picked out the run of Jayden Clarke who finished with aplomb for his third goal of the campaign.

The lead lasted just 60-seconds however as a cross in from the Harrow right saw Juan Pablo under pressure from a Harrow striker. The cushioned touch back from the defender almost looked like a composed finish as the ball was directed wide of Fred Burbidge and into the far bottom corner of the net.

The Greens re-took the lead on 26 minutes when the Harrow defence was once again split wide-open and this time it was Liam Brooks who took the ball on and coolly beat Damian Las in the Harrow goal.

On the stroke of half-time Boro' equalised again when this time substitute Dernell Wynter, on for the injured James Taylor, beat the Hendon offside trap, coolly rounded Burbidge and tucked the ball into the empty net to take the two sides in level pegging.

It took just seven minutes of the second half for the visitors to wrestle control of the tie away from Hendon's grasp as a cross towards the far post found Frank Keita who was able to plant his header beyond the exposed Burbidge and although the Greens pushed for an equaliser, George Moore made the game safe in the 83rd minute with a fine finish off the frame of the goal to make it 4-2.

There was still time for a speculative Shaun Lucien effort to take a couple of touches off of Harrow defenders - the last one administered by Shaun Preddie - to wrong-foot Las in the Harrow goal but that was no more than a late consolation for the Greens who now have another long away trip to look ahead to at the weekend as they visit Merthyr Town in the Southern League.