Bramley United 7 New Inn 3

BRAMLEY United outplayed New Inn when the top two teams in the Basingstoke and District League met on Saturday in the quarter-fnals of the North Hants May Cup.

I made the trip to Bramley expecting a close encounter but United were much the better side even before their second-half onslaught.

New Inn took the lead after seven minutes when Andy McCluskey sent over a centre from the right and Bradley Gowen scored with a diving header.

Paul Clarkson also had a shot saved by Simon Price in the early stages.

Bramley attacked with Martin Campbell racing away down the right and, from his great pass through the middle, Simon Wigglesworth shot straight at the 'keeper. He made amends by equalising in the 25th minute, when New Inn 'keeper Andy Lear could only parry a hot shot from Tony Dixon and Wigglesworth followed up to net.

Manager Steve Wigglesworth gave a tough team talk at half-time and, within 10 minutes, Bramley were 4-1 ahead. Nils Wedi may have been fortunate with a defected shot from 25 yards in the 47th minutes but there was no fluke about the other two.

Inside four minutes Barry Williams unleashed a 30-yard shot that flew past the helpless Lear and, minutes later, Campbell, always a menace to the New Inn back-line flicked past Lear and Dixon took an easy chance to make it 4-1.

New Inn hit back with their second goal in the 59th minute.

A corner from McCluskey found Paul Clarkson at the far post for a class header. Within a minute, Dixon drifted past two men and flicked cheekily past Lear and Wedi did likewise in the 68th minute to make it 6-2.

There was still time for two more goals, with Clarkson scoring his second and substitute Nathan Wigglesworth netting following a chance laid on by dangerous midfielder Wedi.

With a couple of minutes to play, New Inn's Damian Gowen was sent off for alleged stamping.