Blues beat Stotfold yet again to reach last four

The win was the eighth successive triumph for Blues over their county neighbours as both sides fielded fringe players.

Stotfold made an excellent start when Lewis Holmes netted after just two minutes, but Dunstable responded quickly and levelled on 12 minutes when Matthew Judge found Jonathan Cooper and he slipped the ball past keeper Brad Gilham.

The visitors’ challenge seemed to fade after this, although there were no further goals before the interval.

After the break, the Blues went ahead in stunning fashion on 56 minutes as Peter Holmes took possession inside Stotfold’s half and evaded no fewer than five players before finishing in supreme style.

With 20 minutes to go the Blues had breathing space with another glorious finish as Dean Brennan’s measured cross from the right found an unmarked Cooper, who lobbed the keeper from distance.

Returning striker Luke Lincoln was unlucky not to score when his right-footed shot hit the base of the post and Stotftold twice cleared follow-up efforts off the line to keep the score a little bit more respectable.

The Blues will meet either St Margaretsbury or Harefield United in the semi-finals.

On Saturday, Dunstable slipped up in the race for the league title with a 3-3 home draw against Aylesbury United.

They were 2-0 down on 34 minutes as Paul Edgeworth and Lewis Hallford scored, but Cooper and Holmes levelled.

Aylesbury moved back in front as Ben Baines netted with 10 minutes remaining, only for Brennan to equalise in injury time.

This weekend, Dunstable travel to Berkhamsted in the league and visit Arlesey Town in the Beds Senior Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday.