A colourful wave of red and blue spilled onto the pitch in joyous celebration at Somerset Cricket Club as cup giants Somerset Trojans stormed into the FA Cup semi-finals yesterday.

Over the decades these two perennial rivals ? the most decorated in FA Cup history ? have produced many memorable battles, and yesterday's contest, which featured four clinically taken goals, five bookings and one sending off during a riveting 90 minutes of non-stop action, proved no exception.

That Trojans prevailed to avenge a recent loss to Zebras in the league owed much to some solid play at the back by inspirational sweeper Karl Roberts coupled by some relentless running down the flanks by diminutive midfielder Damon Ming and the late dramatics of 16-year-old second-half substitute Cofield Robinson, who perhaps gave the home crowd a glimpse of things to come with a well taken goal that put the match beyond the visiting team.

Zebras discovered the hard way that dominating a match for long spells without putting the ball in the back of the net just doesn't cut it.

The visiting team could have had this contest sewn up before half-time, but poor finishing let them down with imposing striker Dawud Tucker, Blenn Bean, Jahnai Raynor and second-half substitute Stephen Astwood all guilty of squandering chances in front of goal.

"It is awesome!" exclaimed a relieved Franklyn Simmons, deputising as Trojans head coach in the absence of Dennis Brown.

"The guys came out today with an incentive to do well in Dennis' absence. They wanted this one really bad and they were able to produce the goods. PHC are probably one of the fittest teams on the Island, they are always a threat going forward. But our guys dug deep and we brought some young players off the bench today and they showed they have heart."

Trojans certainly demonstrated tremendous fight early on, taking the lead after only ten minutes through lanky striker Anthony Webb. During a foray into Zebra territory, PHC 'keeper Dennis Joell and Trojan striker Dwight Basden collided as they challenged for a diagonal pass, enabling an opportunistic Anthony Webb to slot the loose ball into an empty net.

But for all their early hard work, Trojans' lead would be short-lived as within minutes an indecisive Shawn Riley hesitated to head away a Torie Russell cross, allowing Raynor to control the ball, body-swerve his marker and beat Timmy Figureido with a firmly hit drive.

From here Zebras took full command of the proceedings, keeping their hosts on the defensive only to fumble at the last hurdle in attack.

But shortly after another Zebra raid had broken down, Trojans took the lead for good in the 64th minute via the penalty spot after a goalward bound Basden was felled in the six -yard box. Ming made no mistake with his spot kick, planting the ball to the left of a hapless Joell.

The home team then inserted teenage forward Robinson into the attack and the youngster repaid his coach by reacting first to a cross from the left before keeping his composure and drilling the ball into the bottom far corner of the net.

But for Trojans the victory would come at a cost with the senseless 90th minute sending off of Riley for what was deemed as an unfair tackle, putting a slight damper on what was otherwise a memorable day for the home team.

"It's been a long time coming. We have got Dennis (Brown) back home and this is just another bit of icing on the cake for us," added Simmons.