The hosts - who had already beaten The Yellamen at the Racecourse Ground back in August - took the lead after just five minutes when a neat interchange between Joe Blount and Gavin James ended with a ricocheted clearance that ended up at the feet of Ashley James, and he coolly beat Chris Grace from just inside the penalty area.

Ascot fought back well as the half progressed and Daryl McLean forced an outstanding save from the hosts’ goalkeeper Robert Bullivant.

However the second half started disastrously for The Yellamen as James won possession in the Ascot penalty area before firing past Grace to make it 2-0.

The visitors’ debutant defender Tom Moran was then sent off for a second bookable offence before Grace denied Blount a third goal for his side with a sharp save low to his left.

Jermaine Roche missed a golden opportunity to give Ascot a lifeline from close range.

And they were punished when Blount added an injury time goal to seal a 3-0 victory for the hosts.

On Saturday, Ascot began their defence of the Bluefin Sport Challenge Cup with a 5-2 win at Penn & Tylers Green.

It was a comfortable victory for Jeff Lamb’s side, with the Yellamen again flying out of the blocks to put the game to bed early on with a killer instinct up front.

Matt Jones grabbed his first of the afternoon in the second minute, latching on to a pass to fire home.

Jordan Berry doubled the lead nine minutes later to put Ascot in complete control as he finished calmly with his left foot to dink the advancing keeper.

Leon Yarnie curled a right-footed effort inside the right-hand post on the half-hour mark to make it 3-0.

Jones fired home his second of the game just two minutes later to put the game beyond doubt, before the hosts pulled one back before half-time.

It was a quiet second-half, though the hosts did pull a further goal back in the 73rd minute, but Jermaine Roche restored the three-goal lead in the 84th minute when he rounded the keeper and stroked the ball into an empty net.

Ascot travel to Holmer Green in the FA Vase first round on Saturday (3pm).

They return to Hellenic league action on Monday with a trip to Binfield in a local derby clash (7.45pm).