MANAGER Roger Herridge blamed the sending off of Jack Broome for Binfield’s defeat in the Reading Invitation Senior Cup final, writes Dave Wright.

The Moles led 2-1 before Broome’s red card and, though they quickly added a third goal, their 10 men were unable to hold off a spirited recovery from Henley Town and eventually succumbed 5-3 in extra time.

It was the second year running Herridge had lost the Senior Cup final to a team from a lower league after having a player dismissed.

“It was the same feeling I had 12 months ago and it’s not great, I can tell you,” said Herridge, who had also suffered heartbreak in the Hellenic League Floodlight Cup last season.

“We have had three finals now in my reign and not won any of them, and that is a monkey I need to get off my back.

“It is not easy to win things at this level and when you have the opportunity you have to take it.

“To win any match the key moments in the game have to go for you and obviously Broome’s sending off hasn’t gone for us.”

Commenting on the sending off, Herridge added: “I didn’t see the incident, so I am not sure if the ref sent him off for what he (Broome) thought he did or what he saw he did. But I am disappointed in Jack for giving him that opportunity.

“He has let himself down, his team-mates down, let me and the club down and that’s disappointing.

“He asked an awful lot of his team-mates on a big pitch to play with 10 players.

“Yes, we did get our noses in front at 3-1, but ultimately having one man less cost us. It changed the game.

“I felt that when we led 2-1 with 11 men there was only going to be one winner.”

Herridge added: “I am still proud of the players as it certainly wasn’t easy playing on a great big pitch with 10 men since the 57th minute. They could not have given me more.

“They worked really hard with one player less against a half decent side.

“But ultimately they (Henley) made their extra man count. They were clinical and took their chances.

“We probably created just as many, if not more, but we didn’t take them.”

Liam Ferdinand was the Moles’ man of the match, scoring twice, either side of a goal from his strike partner Jemel Johnson.

“Every time Ferdy got the ball it looked like he was going to score and he was probably unlucky not to have got a hat-trick,” said Herridge, who added that Lewis Leonetti was outstanding in his defence.

Herridge continued: “To end the season on a low is really disappointing, but I will now have a little bit of thinking time and we will go again from the start of pre-season.”

The Binfield boss believes he has the nucleus of a decent squad and is hoping he can keep them all together, but there is also the fear that history could repeat itself once again.

“After last year’s final (against Wokingham & Emmbrook) I spoke to the players in the dressing room and said I hoped they would all be back for pre-season training,” Herridge recalled.

“But a few of them let me down. Hopefully we can keep this current squad together, but, above all, I just hope the players are all honest with me.”