Eton Manor 34
Barking 8
(Essex Senior Cup SF)

WHILE Barking may have chosen to give their first team the afternoon off, Eton Manor were left delighted by this huge cup scalp.

The New Wilderness men booked their place in the final against Southend with a controlled and dedicated performance against the National League Three South side.

Playing with a stiff breeze behind them Manor made a lively start to the game.

Having already threatened the visitors line, the hosts took just seven minutes to open the scoring.

Flanker Sape Misa burst through to score by the posts and allow Reece Reed an easy conversion to make it 7-0.

Barking managed to peg three points back with a penalty from Luke Greatrex, although Reed was also on target at the other end to make it 10-3.

And on the stroke of half time the Manor took control of the game with a try by winger Pete Robinson, following good build up play from Tony Skurr. Scrum-half Reed knocked over a difficult conversion to leave it at 17-3 at the interval It took Manor less than a minute of the second half to extend their lead.

A good break upfield ended with Ryan Norton creating a hole that full-back James Willcocks took full advantage of to score by the posts.

The conversion failed but the hosts were in control of their own destiny.

Midway through the second half Manor put the game beyond doubt.

From their own line they launched a series of explosive drives that resulted in Steve Brockman running around behind the posts for another well-worked try.

Reed's conversion gave the Manor an unassailable 29-3 lead.

Barking never stopped trying and were rewarded for their efforts after half an hour of the second period with a try in the corner from Joe Jones.

But Manor had the final word when hooker Richie Moller put the icing on the cake with a well-taken try right at the death. Delighted coach Ged White said: "We played well, our defence was sound and we scored five cracking tries.

"Two of them, in the second half, were outstanding team efforts. We've not won anything yet but we have given ourselves the opportunity to.

"The players have a massive belief in themselves and what we are trying to achieve. We will give it our best shot."

Manor will face Southend at the New Wilderness on Saturday April 5, kick off at 2.30pm.