BOSS Ken Vaughan saw Bournemouth Poppies lose their grip on the Wessex League Cup and then praised conquerors Brockenhurst for lowering their colours.

Warren Kenna’s sublime second-half strike earned the Wessex One outfit a deserved 1-0 win following an entertaining semi-final showdown at New Milton’s Fawcett’s Field on Tuesday.

Kenna’s arrow-like 20-yard drive saw impressive Poppies’ keeper Max Frampton beaten after 57 minutes.

Poppies’ misery was completed when Joe Byrne, who had earlier been booked for a verbal spat with team-mate Max Cream, received a straight red card after speaking out of turn to referee Paul Byfield.

Vaughan said: “I had no complaints because we were beaten by the better team. Brockenhurst got what they deserved and they did a great job on us.”

Brockenhurst will meet Christchurch in the final at Eastleigh on Monday, May 7.

Poppies: Frampton, Crow, Jackson, Byrne, Crutcher, Blake (Taylor, 16), Ingram, Cream, Ewen, Saadi, Hogan (Mas, 67). Unused sub: Vaughan (g/k).

Badgers: O’Rourke, Liddon, Sullivan, Vinton, Lloyd (Tate, 72), Mead, Kenna, Booker, Barker, Morse (Chilcott, 85), Maher (James, 63). Unused sub: Shrimpton, Clarke.