MOMENTS of quality were key to Ipswich Wanderers reaching the CNet Training Suffolk Senior Cup Final.

 Old Newton United joint manager Anthony Fryatt said he felt that was the difference between the two teams after his side’s 4-0 defeat in Tuesday’s semi-final at Stowmarket Town FC.

Fryatt said: “It’s always disappointing to lose in a semi-final. You come with a game plan and give yourselves a chance, but ultimately I am really proud of the boys for the effort they put in.

“I thought we worked hard to stay in the game, laid a glove and had a couple of half-chances that didn’t go in and a couple of moments of quality at key times opened the game up and when you are having a go two late ones makes it look a little bit more flattering.”

Wanderers led through Matt Blake’s clinical sidefoot finish after 29 minutes, before skipper Kris Rose was sent off for a second bookable offence ten minutes later.

A superb 25-yard strike from George Mrozek four minutes into the second period put Wanderers in control and Lewis Kincaid (77 minutes) and Ben Stannard (82 minutes) added the gloss late on.

Wanderers’ joint manager Mark Goldfinch admitted: “We weren’t particularly good in the first half but scored our goal at the right time.

“You expect the sending off to change the game, which it did, but we got the second goal not long into the second half and were comfortable really in the second half.

“It was a great strike – George can do that. He hit it well with his left foot and it flew into the top corner.

“We said at half time we are quite comfortable playing with ten men but at 1-0 you never know what can happen at a set play or a fumble at the back.

“If we got a second goal we felt we were confident we could control the tempo of the game and see it out. Two goals in the last 15 minutes then sealed it.”

Goldfinch said the players who were involved in last season’s 2-0 semi-final loss to Bildeston Rangers, who like Old Newton United play a level below Wanderers in the Macron SIL Senior Division, were determined to put that right.

“I mentioned to them before the game that nothing’s a given in these sorts of games but the players we have this year are much more determined and focussed, particularly with our league campaign this season, where any sort of slip up at any time could influence and affect that run-in so we made sure we were fully focussed for tonight’s game,” he said.

Old Newton United goalkeeper Jay Hindley is pictured above making an early save from Ipswich Wanderers' striker Matt Blake. Photograph: Paul Voller.