Reading YMCA crashed out of the BTC Senior Cup after a dramatic penalty shoot-out saw Senior Division rivals Sandhurst Devels earn a first ever visit to the Mad Stad.

It is the second successive year that the Young Men have exited at the semi-final stage and they were left to rue a string of chances.

The Devels started the stronger of the two sides and striker Dave Shearman had a gilt edged chance after just 2 minutes when the ball dropped to him inside the 6-yard box but he could only hit his shot weakly at keeper Scott Mortimer. Devels continued to pressurise the YM defence from set pieces and long throws and, despite some nervy moments, YM held firm and began to assert themselves.

On 25 minutes, YM took the lead when a superb long pass from centre back Adam Cassidy found Adey whose instant control and lob sailed over keeper Craig Wilkins into the net.

YM had settled now and were beginning to edge the game when Martin Abery chased a through ball which looked to comfortable for the Sandhurst defender until the player's legs got tangled and Abery was left clean through on goal. He then cooly dummied the defender and keeper but his underhit shot was cleared off the line. Sandhurst were incensed by the referee's decision not to blow for a foul and surrounded the referee.

The game was lacking in quality on a tight, sloping pitch pitch but Sandhurst looked to be running out of ideas before they equalized with a soft goal. The ball looked to be heading out of play behind the goal but as YM keeper Scott Mortimer tried to shepherd the ball out, Sandhurst's Richard Steel slid in and tapped the ball into the net from a tight angle.

YM's Scott Allen then thundered a header against the bar from a corner and Sam Jennings had a superb 20 yard shot well saved by Wilkins but the scores remained 1-1 at half-time.

The second half was a largely turgid as tension began to creep into both side's play. Sandhurst looked to be the side growing in confidence though and a string of set pices and long throws caused YM repeated problems. YM were forced into some desperate defending with the back 3 of Allen, Cassidy and Ben Green performing heroics at times.

At the other end YM were unlucky to see a 25 yard Adey wonderstrike chalked off for offside.

Extra-time came and there was controversy in the 2nd period when Sandhurst keeper Wilkins denied Abery when he handled outside the box and the Sandhurst contingent were relieved to see that man given a yellow card for the discretion. But the best chance of extra-time fell to YM player manager Mark Lemm after his introduction with 15 minutes of the game remaining. Great work by the excellent Adey saw him beat the Sandhurst full back before delivering a superb cross into the box which Lemm raced to meet only to see his diving header drift wide when he had the goal at his mercy.

So it came to penalties and Sandhurst received the first boost when Adey missed YM's 1st penalty. Sandhurst scored their's and when Danny Fitzpatrick missed YM's 2nd it looked curtains for YM. But some fine stops from Mortimer and nerveless kicks from Cassidy, Green, Drew Tipper, Naz Edmunds and Andy Bullett saw YM holding the upper hand. On 3 occasions Sandhurst had to score to stay in the shoot-out and on each occasion they did just that. Lemm was then next up and to cap a miserable day for the veteran his weak penalty was easily saved which left Sandhurst's 17 year old Chris Basher to seal his side's win.

Dejected Lemm said "Obviously it's devestating to go out at this stage for the 2nd year in a row and even more so from a personal perspective because I've let the boys down today and I know how badly they wanted to win this one.

I can't praise Sandhurst enough though, they came with a game plan which they executed well and to take 3 penalties knowing that on each occasion a miss would see them lose says alot for their strength of character. It was a tight game and both sides had their chances in normal play but it was Sandhurst's day today and they earned their trip to the Mad Stad.

We will now have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and focus on our final 8 league games of the season. I've told the lads that we can either feel sorry for ourselves or use this disappointment to drive us on for the rest of the season. Our next league against Woodcote/Stoke Row is now massive for us and I know all the players will be desperate to get out there and make a statement."

READING YMCA: MORTIMER, ALLEN, GREEN, CASSIDY, EDMUNDS, FITZPATRICK, D TIPPER, CRIPPS (replaced by M LEMM 105mins), ADEY, ABERY, JENNINGS (replaced by BULLETT 75mins) SUBS M LEMM, BULLETT, CORNELL (not used).

LEMMY'S MOM - SCOTT ALLEN

Mark Ilsley crashed home the winning spot kick to ensure the Rapids stay on course for an unprecedented treble, after a stalemate with Highmoor/Ibis A. The game, played at Woodford Park wasn't the prettiest of encounters with a bobbly pitch and wind causing havoc, but with a cup final at stake it was YM's second string that came out victorious.

YM flew out the blocks and it was Dave Morrison who had the first effort on goal after being put through by the lively Steve Daly. Morrison seemed to delay slightly which allowed veteran keeper Chris Jarvis to smother the shot for a corner. Dave Rolfe then found himself in the clear from the corner and then a cross field Sidwell free kick, but could only send both efforts over the bar as the conditions took hold. Ryan Tipper was biting in to tackles and Sidwell dominant in the air as the Rapids tried to feed wide danger men Steve Daly and Steve Woodrow, but it was Chris Leach who burst down the right and delivered a vicious whipped cross that managed to elude everyone and rolled to safety with the YM players looking at each other wondering how it wasn't converted.

Highmoor came back in to preceedings after 20 minutes and looked to cause a few problems but were expertly marshalled by MOM Ilsley central defensive partner, Dave Rolfe. Morrison and Daly both had further chances to make the breakthrough but found Jarvis on top form.

The second period started as the first left off with YM looking to make the breakthrough and it was Lewis Evans and Steve Woodrow combining down the left that saw some hairy moments for the Highmoor defence - twice clearing what looked to be certain goals. The team in yellow could also sense an upset and had one effort expertly saved on the line by Ian Harvey and serveral set pieces scrambled away.

YM had the best opportunity of the game to secure the final place, in the last minute of normal time. Woodrow and Evans once again combined down the left and crossed to the back stick where Daly was waiting to nod the ball in to an empty net. The wing wizard looked to have done enough as he guided the ball goal bound but an outstretched Highmoor leg hooked the ball up in to the air and somehow cleared the danger as the game headed for the extra half an hour.

Both sides went in to extra time with tired legs and not wanting to give away anything costly. Paul Towner replaced the injured Ryan Tipper and Dan Sutton made way for Marcus Sanigar, as YM's fresh legs looked to make the game safe. Towner found some space on the edge of the box but could only shoot wildly off target as the game headed or the dreaded penalty shoot out.

Highmoor took the first and YM stopper Harvey expertly saved only to see the linesman raise his flagged to signal a re-take, seemingly the only one to spot it. Steve Jennings made no mistake for the second time and the following 9 penalities were all succesful as Sidwell, Morrison, Rolfe, Harvey and Woodrow all converted. Finally the breakthrough came with Highmoor's 6th penalty when Harvey stuck out a trailing leg to get something on the ball and all players, officals and supporters watched in amazement as the ball trickled along the goal line and span the right side of the post for YM. Ilsely stepped up and crashed his kick to Jarvis right as the young men celebreated their first cup final in only their second season of existance.

Manager Paul O Boyle remarked: 'not the prettiest of games today as cup semi's are always a tense affair but we dug in and kept our nerve to secure the final spot I thought we deserved'

Rapids: Harvey, Evans, Rolfe, Ilsley, Leach, Daly, Sidwell, Tipper (Replaced Towner 90), Woodrow, Sutton (Replaced Sanigar 95), Morrison. SUBS: Sanigar, Towner, Maslen (Not Used)

BOILERS MOM: MARK ILSLEY