Holders Reading YMCA were sent crashing out of the BTC Senior Cup after a 2nd half goal spree by Premier Division Shinfield.

YM were leading 2-1 with 25 minutes to go and looked in control but a 15 minute hat-trick from Shinfield's Aaron Baker turned the game on its head to leave YM shellshocked.

YM went into the game at virtually full strength with only the cup tied Sam Jennings and long term injury victim Aidey Kearsey missing from the regular starters.  Shinfield were also able to field a strong side and the stage looked set for an epic battle with a place at the Mad Stad up for grabs.

But it was YM who flew out of the blocks when midfielder Andrew Heath hit the crossbar with a powerful header and then striker Dan Newman had 2 penalty appeals turned down after being brought down in the box  - but referee Geoff Pithers dismissed the Young Men's claims.

YM were now rampant and a great run from Nader Edmunds saw him square the ball to Tim Zielinski 5 yards from goal but, despite beating a defender to the ball, Zielinski's shot hit the inside of the post and rolled agonisingly along the goaline before the ball was eventually bundled away.

Shinfield were restricted to occasional break aways but their best chance fell to Shaun Coppin who ghosted in at the back post to meet a cross only to tamely shoot into the side netting when well placed.

Still YM piled on the pressure and Newman had a great chance to score when clean through only to hit his lob into the grateful hands of keeper Lee Johnson.  Strike partner Drew Tipper had an almost identical opportunity with Johnson caught a long way out of his goal but Tipper underhit his effort and the Shinfield keeper again gathered.  The goalscoring opportunities continued to come thick and fast and YM were again denied by the woodwork before Andy Bullett's powerful low shot just went wide of the upright.

The best chance of the half then fell to Bullett when a well-worked YM move found Heath on the edge of the 6-yard box with just Johnson to beat, Heath squared the ball across the face of the goal where Bullett was arriving late only to somehow scoop his shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Typically, after so many clear cut chances it took a moment of magic from YM's Edmunds to finally break the deadlock on 40mins.  Edmunds neatly controlled a clearance 25 yards from goal and as the ball bounced up he hit an unstoppable volley into the far corner for his 1st goal for the club.

YM went out for the 2nd half knowing that a clean sheet would see them through to the final but within 5 minutes Shinfield grabbed a shock equaliser when a Jonathan Leacock cross was met superbly by Leon Butcher whose bullet header smashed into the roof of the net.  YM responded well though and regained the lead soon after when a Newman corner was headed goalward by Danny Fitzpatrick leaving Tim Sidwell to scramble the ball into the net.

At 2-1 YM then had 2 great chances to kill the game off - first a flowing YM move saw the ball land at the feet of Heath on the left of the 6-yard box and despite hitting a sweet shot towards the far corner keeper Johnson made a superb save to tip the ball round the post.  And then a Sidwell through ball allowed Tipper to race in on goal where he drew out Johnson before squaring the ball for Newman who was left with the simple task of tapping into the empty net only to see the ball bobble over his foot and the opportunity vanish.

YM were made to rue these missed chances as Shinfield and Baker embarked on an inspired spell which saw them hit 3 quickfire goals to effectively win the match.

A neat interchange of passes on the right finished with Baker receiving the ball in space on the edge of the area where he took one touch before delivering a rasping shot into the bottom corner of the net.  Within 5 minutes, he scored again in almost identical fashion this time hitting his shot into the opposite corner where Mortimer was again left helpless.
Shellshocked YM had now lost all shape and defensive discipline as the realisation dawned that they were in danger of losing a match they had largely controlled.

But before the Young Men could regroup, Baker made it 4-2 when he capitalised on the gaps in the YM defence to bare down on goal and hit another clinical finish into the net.

With just 10 minutes left on the clock YM now had no option other than to throw men forward which inevitably created gaps at the back and with Shinfield now attacking in waves they duly notched a 5th goal when a intelligent pull back was met by the onrushing James Weston who smashed the ball home from just inside the box for a 5-2 lead.

Still the drama was not over though and YM pulled a goal back when a Mark Lemm shot was diverted into the net by Fitzpatrick amid Shinfield protests that they had a man lying injured.  With less than 5 minutes remaining YM continued to press and won a penalty when Tipper was brought down in the box but it summed up YM's day when Newman's shot was acrobatically saved by the outstanding Johnson.

Deflated YM player boss Mark Lemm said "We've only got ourselves to blame for this defeat - we had so many clear-cut chances in the 1st half the game should have been done and dusted at half-time.  Then at 2-1 up we had another couple of golden opportunities which we didn't take.  For 60 minutes I thought we were in control of the match and then from nowhere Shinfield started to play like Man Utd and took the away from us before we even had chance to work out what was happening.

You just can't miss so many chances and defend like we did during that spell and expect to beat anyone.  But we're a team and we lose together and win together and I won't be blaming individuals or making excuses - it just wasn't meant to be.

I'd like to give a special mention to the officials who handled the game really well and I also wish Shinfield the best of luck in the final."

READING YMCA: MORTIMER, FITZPATRICK, ZIELINSKI, CASSIDY, CORNELL (replaced D MORRISON 70mins), BULLETT (replaced by M LEMM 80mins), SIDWELL, HEATH (replaced by WOODROW 75mins), EDMUNDS, D TIPPER, NEWMAN SUBS D MORRISON, WOODROW, M LEMM, ILSLEY (not used), ROLFE (not used).

YM's Drew Tipper capped another magical display with 2 headed goals int he 3-1 win over Woodcote/Stoke Row. Tipper has been a revelation in recent weeks since moving back in to central midfield and took the MOM honours with a fine performance.

Andy Bullet made a sparkling comeback from injury inspiring the Rapids to a 1-0 win over basement side Taplow. Bullett ran the show and set YM's 2nd string on their way with some excellent midfiled play setting up chance after chance for the front men and scooping the MOM award.