SAINTS U23s booked a Hampshire Senior Cup semi-final against Basingstoke Town by beating Bournemouth Poppies 2-0 at the Victoria Ground tonight.

Captain Tom O’Connor scored a 15th-minute free kick and Jamie Bradley-Green netted the second 15 minutes from time following a corner.

Saints had a third-minute header off the line and Tyreke Johnson won a corner after a mazy run down the left before captain O’Connor gave Saints the lead.

Dom Falco went close to equalising for Poppies midway through the first half but just missed the target after a free-kick was flicked on.

Johnson continued to look dangerous and in the 35th minute Chia Khider was booked for fouling the winger.

Fellow Saints winger Will Ferry had a shot blocked by Elsom Harvey and Jonathan Afolabi shot straight at Poppies goalkeeper Sam Jones on the hour after creating space to shoot.

Bradley-Green scored Saints’ second in the 76th-minute after the ball fell to him from a corner

French defender Allan Tchaptchet went close to another for Saints but his header was well saved.

Saints, who have stepped up to the county cup after lifting the Southampton Senior Cup at St Mary’s last spring, won 2-0 at Christchurch and 1-0 against Fleet Town at AFC Totton’s Testwood Stadium in the previous rounds.

The Premier League Two division two leaders now face Martin Kuhl’s Evo-Stik Premier Division outfit Basingstoke, who booked their semi-final spot with a 7-0 thrashing of Fareham Town. The other semi-final pits cup holders Havant & Waterlooville – 3-0 conquerors of Team Solent – against either Sydenhams Premier leaders Sholing or AFC Bournemouth U21s. They meet at Sholing’s Universal Stadium on March 7.

Saints: Alex Cull, Oludare Olufunwa, Kameron Ledwidge, Alexandre Jankewitz, Jamie Bradley-Green, Allan Tchaptchet, Will Ferry, Tom O’Connor, Jonathan Afolabi,Will Smallbone (Harry Hamblin 46), Tyreke Johnson.

Poppies: Sam Jones, Aziz Aldhayan, Manny Chamede, Tom Wensley, Harvey Epsom, Ron Frost, Shinan Roushbiani (Ali Zintany 56), Chia Khider, River Smith, Dom Falco.