Boro beat Ware 4-3 in Herts Senior Cup semi-final

Ware 3 Stevenage 4

Herts Senior Cup

Craig Reid’s four goal haul helped Stevenage navigate a tricky Herts Senior Cup semi-final at Ware on Tuesday evening.

Reid put Boro ahead just three minutes in but the hosts levelled when Luke Marshall coaxed a roar from the Ware contingent in the stands by latching onto Sam Ruff’s ball to fire in the equaliser midway through the first half.

Reid, who by this time had also had two decent efforts saved by Ware goalkeeper Obey Murefu, had the opportunity to score his second on the half-hour mark when Lee Protheroe handballed in the box and he duly dispatched the penalty.

The same player was at it again on 44 minutes when another spot kick was awarded, this time for a foul by Emiel Aiken, and Reid fired home again to complete a first-half hat-trick.

Not to be undone, Ware fought back in the second half and on 53 minutes Marshall doubled his tally from close range to make it 3-2.

Ten minutes later it was game on as former Royston Town man Ryan Wade struck home following a corner.

There followed a period of pressure from the hosts, with Stevenage left thankful for a number of lucky escapes and goal-line clearances, but with just 11 minutes left Reid popped up again to fire in the winner to book his side a place in the final against Barnet.

Stevenage: Bayes, Long, Foster, Charles, Byrom, Sinclair, Mousinho, Murphy, Beardsley, May, Reid. Subs: Bufano, Thalassitis, Bricknall, Knight.