ASCOT United eased past nine-man Langley to reach the quarter finals of the Perpetua Press Floodlit Cup on Tuesday evening.

Already cruising at 2-0, the home side’s passage was all-but-sealed when the visitors were harshly dealt a double-red, before going on to add three further goals.

Ascot had already seen off one side from Division Two of the Hellenic League in this season’s competition, but Langley would arrive in much better form having won seven on the trot and boasting an array of talent, including ex-Yellamen Joe Jarra and Calvin Morgan.

Fortunately for Langley, a combination of erratic defending in their ranks was mitigated by ‘keeper Oneal Garnes, who restricted Ascot to just one early goal.

That arrived after just 10 minutes off the left foot of Elliott Carey, whose sweetly-struck effort across Garnes found the inside of the right-hand post after Callum Carlisle’s tenacity had earlier retained possession for Ascot.

Garnes then saved from debutant Sheridan Campbell barely a minute later, Usman Lalustani nodded wide at the far post when completely unmarked from Samir Regragui’s corner and Garnes saved once against from the same player through a crowd of players, but Langley survived and finally found their defensive duties.

At the other end, Dean Papali’s rare sight of goal ended with a wayward slice under pressure from Chris Ellis – Mohammed Riaz sliding him in – although a six-minute hold up just after the half-hour mark threatened to disjoint the visitors defence again when Finn Kelly-Lewis was stretchered off following an innocuous looking clash of feet with Regragui.

After play had restarted, Ellis turned provider for Ascot with a long ball to Campbell, who cut the ball back for Regragui, but he could only lift the ball over as half-time approached.

There was still time for a brace of headers from Louis Bouwers, although the Ascot captain would see his first tipped over by Garnes before the second sailed over.

Ascot doubled their lead four minutes after the restart when Geoff Kibaki laid James Haworth’s deep cross back to George Lock, who rifled an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net.

Jarra broke down the right wing and picked out Langley striker Ben White as the visitors mounted a rare counter, and after White had held the ball up well, he laid the ball off to Riaz, who fired over.

However, the game turned on the double dismissal of White – for his challenge on Lock – and defender Luke Paris for his apparent role in the ensuing melee, although the Yellamen were fortunate not to have had a man dismissed for their own contributions.

From that moment on the contest was sadly ended, although Ascot bagged three decent goals through Lalustani’s low effort after Lamin Sankoh had skipped along the by-line, Luqman Kassim’s strike following a neat one-two with Price, and Price himself in the third minute of added time after firing through Garnes.

Fourth-placed Ascot United return to Hellenic League Premier Division action when they host struggling Tuffley Rovers tomorrow (Saturday, 3pm), while Virginia Water are at home to Bishops Cleeve.