SAINTS U23s crashed out of the Hampshire Senior Cup on penalties at ten-man Basingstoke Town last night.

Radhi Jaidi’s side were 2-0 down to the Southern Leaguers after just four minutes of the semi-final at The Camrose, following goals from Sam Smart and Yvan Jourdan.

Two goals from Will Smallbone restored parity before half-time. He equalised with a penalty after a handball on the goal-line that resulted in a red card for recent signing Adam Everiss.

Teenage midfielder Will Ferry put Saints 3-2 up but Basingstoke equalised when a Dean Stow shot deflected in off Christoph Klarer.

Tyreke Johnson gave Saints a 77th-minute lead only for Dan Bayliss to net the late equaliser that took the game to a shoot-out.

Saints were 3-1 up at one stage but Basingstoke clinched a 5-4 victory in sudden death with winger Jourdan netting the winning penalty.

Basingstoke will play Havant & Waterlooville in the final at St Mary’s.

“To get a win with ten men against a Premier League U23 team was amazing,” said Basingstoke boss Martin Kuhl.

SAINTS: Cull, Olufunwa, Vokins, Kpohomouh, Bradley-Green, Klarer, Ferry, O’Connor, Tella (Hansen 90), Smallbone, Johnson.

BASINGSTOKE: McGill, Stow, Everiss, Atkinson, Wakeley, Bayliss, Smart (Wright 88), Pearse, Argent, Deadfield Jourdan.