Without really straining, Burnham ended any thoughts of a contest with goals in the 15th and 17th minutes of Saturday's match at the Leslie Field.

The first saw Arnold head home a corner for the second time in four days; then Greaves hit a glorious dipping volley from the angle of the penalty box.

Two minutes later Arnold again headed close from Huttley's accurate cross.

Brown hit the bar on the half hour and Francis went close twice before, on the interval. He was pushed in the box and Cousins converted impressively from the penalty spot.

Clare, in the Burnham goal, had been troubled only once after a clever run across the by-line by Basildon's Docherty and he did well to hold what would have been a dangerous cross.

Basildon were not so poor a side as to allow liberties to be taken, and goals on 57 minutes from Harper and 62 minutes from White reflected the Ramblers carelessness.

Both came from failures first to close down on the ball and then some simple ball watching.

The currently ubiquitous Arnold popped up on 67 minutes to turn home Greaves' excellent lay off, but before the end the defence again chatted amongst themselves as White nabbed his second.

Throughout all this both Greaves and Down had looked dangerous up front.

In the 58th minute, from a Francis cross, Down produced a superbly athletic header which went inches wide.

It was, in a way, a ridiculous scoreline, but it puts Burnham in the final, where they will meet Concord Rangers, at Barking FC on May 1.

The next three or four weeks will decide whether the trophy will offer the icing on the cake or bare consolation.

Burnham Ramblers: Clare, Dobson, Cousins, Arnold, Tracey, Wright, Brown, Francis, Huttley, Down and Greaves. Substitutes: Sutton (Brown), Large (Cousins) and Chiston (Wright).

Ramblers first team are without a match on Saturday but on Tuesday (7.45pm kick off) they host Stansted at Leslie Field.

Last Tuesday's match, also against Stansted, was postpponed, due to a waterlogged pitch.

The Reserves Spurgeon Cup Final against Nortel is at Heybridge Swifts F.C. on Wednesday April 26, not on May 1 as previously stated.

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