BINFIELD FC powered their way into the semi-finals of the Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy with a devastating first-half display against Windsor on Monday, writes Dave Wright.

The Moles roared into a four-goal lead and, such was their domination, they could quite easily have doubled it before half-time.

But they ended up winning only by a 4-2 margin after the visitors had scored two late goals and also gone close on two other occasions.

Manager Roger Herridge had watched Windsor on Saturday, only to face a very different looking side two days later.

He explained: “The two who played up front were at centre-back tonight and the centre half was playing in the centre of midfield.

“So they did not play quite as I thought they would, but I was still pleased with what we did learn on Saturday.”

But Herridge could not have possibly expected to see his men make such an explosive start to this quarter-final tie.

Playing a 3-5-2 formation, Moles took just 105 seconds to open their account with a powerful finish from Sean Moore into the far corner.

Skipper James Knight – who claims he scored in the 7-3 win over Oxford City Development in the League Cup on October 29, only to see Matt Jones given the credit – made it 2-0 on seven minutes.

Only the excellence of teenage keeper Henry Poole and the post kept Binfield at bay before Liam Ferdinand added a third on 38 minutes.

Two minutes later Knight set up the fourth for George Lock with the Windsor defence being pulled apart time after time.

In the second half, however, Binfield lost much of their threat in the final third and, reverting to a four-man defence as well, they lost much of their grip on the game.

Hopes of completing a clean sheet ended after 79 minutes when Windsor centre-back Riccardo Cannon moved into the six-yard box to head home a left-wing free-kick from Dan Price.

Ten minutes later a slip by keeper Garry Aulsberry led to a scramble in front of goal with Barry Dunbar claiming the final touch.

The Combined Counties League side kept on going and Aulsberry was kept busy in stoppage time.

Binfield’s semi-final tie at Newport Pagnell Town will be played in January.

Having seen James Charlton leave for Wokingham & Emmbrook, Herridge has signed Jeff Brown, an experienced utility player previously with Flackwell Heath, Burnham and Windsor.

Binfield have also received a seven-day approach from Highmoor Ibis for midfielder Jamie Connor, who is currently on the injured list.

Moles, now down to 10th in the table, host third-bottom Oxford City Nomads on Saturday (3pm).