The Moles have fallen out of the running for top spot in recent weeks and needed a victory to reignite their faltering promotion campaign.

But individual errors cost them on Saturday as the visitors scored in either half to run out comfortable winners against a Moles side that went down to 10 men midway through the second-half after Jack Broome saw red.

Binfield went into the game full of confidence, having been the only team to beat Flackwell all season.

It was a quiet opening, with chances at a premium for both sides as Carl Withers went close with a free-kick for Binfield that just went wide.

Heath started to settle down towards the end of the first-half and they grabbed the lead in the 40th minute through Liam Tack.

Joe Blount found his way to the byline and pulled it back for Tack to drill the ball home via Dan Weait’s crossbar.

The Moles started the second-half well as Seb Bowerman and Ian Davies both went close to levelling the scores.

Bowerman’s curling effort hit the woodwork before Robert Bullivant tipped away a Broome effort that was creeping in at the far post.

With an hour played, it looked set up for a grandstand finish until the Moles threw the game away through a mixture of stupidity and misfortune.

Weait collected a high cross well but ran into Jamie Connor as he tried to launch a counter-attack and dropped the ball at the feet of a visiting striker.

Jamie Handscomb could scarcely believe his luck as he tapped into an empty net to put Flackwell 2-0 ahead.

It was even more frustrating for Herridge as Binfield had competed well and looked capable of turning the game around.

Moments later and the game was all but over as the Moles were reduced to 10 men, with Broome sent off for his part in a melee.

A heavy challenge from Davies had ensured both sets of players piled into the fracas and the referee dismissed Broome to leave Binfield a man down for the remainder of the contest.

The Moles continued to push forward despite the numerical disadvantage, but they left themselves open at the back and Weait made a superb save from Gavin James as Flackwell searched for a third goal.

Jemel Johnson and Gary Callaway went close late on, but Binfield couldn’t find the net as they fell to their second successive home league defeat.

Moles remain third in the table though they have played more games than every team around them and could drop into the bottom half once teams catch up. Binfield are without a Boxing Day fixture and return to action on Monday when they host rivals Bracknell Town.