DISCIPLINE was the deciding factor at Oxland Park on Sunday as St Agnes booked their place in next month's Combination League Cup final.

What this semi-final tie lacked in quality more than made up for in commitment in a full-blooded and often ill-tempered clash.

St Day finished the game with nine men following the second half dismissals of Bryan Hawke and skipper Shaun Halford.

St Agnes were equally as competitive as their Combination League rivals, but ultimately, the difference was their ability to channel their enthusiasm in the right way.

It certainly made for an intriguing encounter in front of a good-sized crowd in Illogan.

"St Day lost the plot in the second half, while we kept our discipline," said St Agnes manager Martyn Kimmins, who reached the final with the Saints as a player in 1991 when they lost to Mullion.

"I'm delighted for the boys and now we can look forward to the final."

Tom Benney ruffled St Day's feathers inside the opening 19 minutes as his two goals put St Agnes firmly in control.

Benney's first goal arrived in the sixth minute when he stabbed the ball home from close range.

The striker then added a second with a classy finish when he fired across goalkeeper Alan Buckley into the bottom corner after running on to a long ball over the top of the St Day defence.

Hopes of a St Day comeback were raised in the 32nd minute when Reynolds pulled a goal back. The former Porthleven striker held off two St Agnes defenders before drilling the ball under the body of Bull.

But that's as good as it got for St Day, who were reduced to 10 men three minutes into the second half when Hawke was shown a straight red card after kicking out at St Agnes defender Darren Murrish.

Dominic Pullen, who endured a frustrating afternoon in front of goal had two good chances to level for St Day, first seeing his attempted lob fall into the hands of Bull and then firing wide from 10 yards out.

Halford's dismissal following a second yellow card for a deliberate handball in the 71st minute only added to St Day's frustrations. And it was game over a minute later when Justin Andrew wrapped up victory with St Agnes' third, glancing home a header from James Thomas' delivery.

Illogan RBL will meet RNAS Culdrose in the other semi-final at Mullion on Sunday with St Agnes awaiting the winners at Penryn's Kernick ground on Easter Sunday, April 4.

"We will be underdogs, which takes off the pressure," said Kimmins.

ST AGNES: R Bull, M Dunstan, M Eddy, T Bartlett, D Murrish, D O'Toole, J Thomas, R Purnell, A Penrose, T Benney, J Andrew. Subs: M Baxter, S Cameron.

Yellow cards: Bull, Murrish, Bartlett.

ST DAY: A Buckley, C Davies (A Dyer 58), B Wasden, D Rawlings, D Blatch, N Taylor, A Nuciferio, S Halford, B Hawke, D Pullen, S Reynolds. Subs: S Winnan, S Harry, A Johns.

Yellow cards: Halford, Pullen.

Red card: Halford, Hawke.

Referee: Steve Rose (Penryn).

Man of the match: Tom Benney (St Agnes) – cup hero's two-goal salvo clinched his side's place in final.