WOW! Gareth Ellis and his Hull FC side finally ended their Wembley hoodoo – and what a way to do it, Jamie Shaul’s late try completing an inspired comeback as they beat Warrington 12-10 in an epic Challenge Cup final.

The Airlie Birds had played at the national stadium eight times before and not won once.

Meanwhile, veteran superstar Ellis, 35, whose stellar career began in York Wasps’ reserves way back in the 1990s, had twice been on the losing side in cup finals.

It looked like it would be third time unlucky for him, a ninth life lost for the Black and Whites, as the Wolves built a 10-0 lead and looked dead certs for victory.

But in a rip-roaring finale after Mahe Fonua had cut the deficit, full-back Shaul’s try in front of the rapturous Hull faithful with six minutes left almost took the roof off the place.

Captain Ellis duly led his team up the famous steps.

Said the 35-year-old, who'd begun his rugby league journey as a junior at Selby Warriors: "I dreamt as a kid lifting that trophy. I dreamt it this week. It's an unbelievable feeling to finally get up there as a proud captain of this team.

"I don't know if you can appreciate how hard it was out there. Warrington were the better team for 60 minutes but we've found a way to win."

Despite a stellar career which included 33 international caps and back-to-back player-of-the-year awards with NRL club Wests Tigers, Ellis’ only previous winners’ medals came in the World Club Challenge in 2005, after he had joined Leeds from Wakefield, and in the Rhinos’ Super League success of 2008.

This prestigious gong had eluded him.

He was on the losing Leeds side in the 2005 final as ex-York favourite Danny Brough kicked the winning points in Hull’s previous memorable victory – this one at the Millennium Stadium as Wembley was being redeveloped. He also lost with Hull in their 2013 reverse to Wigan back under the Arch.

Ellis added: “To come from 10-0 down in a tough game, the lads worked so hard. It means so much. I'm lost for words."

Hull’s line-up had three other players with York links - Shaul, Josh Bowden and Chris Green all having loan or dual-reg spell at Huntington Stadium, to varying degrees of noteworthiness. Two others, Dean Hadley and Jordan Thompson, were 18th and 19th man respectively.

Shaul himself was an unwilling dual-reg flop at the Knights - but is now a fully-fledged Super League ace. And Wembley match-winner.

There was no Wembley wow at all for former Knights favourite Tom Lineham, the one-time York RUFC junior, who switched codes while at York College and went on to join the Knights, then Hull and then, in a £125,000 move, Warrington.

He has not been picked for over a month and duly missed out on this big one.

It was his replacement on the wing, Matty Russell, who broke the deadlock 34 minutes into a pulsating, physically draining clash.

Frank Pritchard’s ill-advised pass was intercepted by Chris Sandow who raced 80 metres - chased all the way by Shaul, who brilliantly hauled him down inches short. Russell was on hand to score from the play-the-ball, Kurt Gidley converting.

Warrington passed up a drop-goal opportunity on half-time and, two minutes after the resumption, Gidley missed a straightforward penalty – would they be made to pay?

Back came Hull, forcing a dropout, the noise inside Wembley ramping up.

But Wire weathered that short storm and it was no surprise when they finally upped their lead, Daryl Clark breaking through and seeing Ben Currie dive into the corner, 13 minutes into the second half.

However, the other half of the ground soon erupted.

Marc Sneyd’s 40-20 set the field position. Ellis drove close and Scott Taylor was held up over the whitewash, before Sneyd’s chip was superbly taken and touched down by Fonua.

Sneyd’s touchline conversion breathed further life into the Airlie Birds, who minutes earlier had looked out on their feet.

They came within millimetres of equalising, video ref Ben Thaler ruling Steve Michaels was just beaten to Sneyd’s angled kick by Stefan Ratchford.

By now, though, Warrington had stopped playing – and then came the winner.

Fonua again outjumped the defence to a Sneyd chip and this time he passed back inside to Sneyd, who sent Shaul home. Man-of-the-match Sneyd goaled.

There was still time for Wire to strike back - but Danny Houghton wrote himself into Hull folklore as he pulled of a remarkable match-winning tackle on the try-line just as Currie eyed glory.

Wow. Probably the best final since the new Wembley was built – not a bad one for York’s David Asquith to oversee as match commissioner.

Hull: Shaul, Michaels, Fonua, Yeaman, Talanoa, Tuimavave, Sneyd, Taylor, Houghton, Watts, Manu, Minichiello, Ellis. Subs (all used): Bowden, Pritchard, Washbrook, Green.

Warrington: Ratchford, Russell, T King, Atkins, Evans, Gidley, Sandow, Hill, Clark, Sims, Currie, Hughes, Westerman. Subs (all used): G King, Dwyer, Westwood, Bailey.

Att: 76,235.