BOSS Michael Cuffie saw Poppies unlock Bashley’s defence on four occasions – as he searched frantically for a lost set of car keys.

Cuffie spent much of the game hunting high and low at Bashley Road, only to later discover he had been victim of a practical joke.

He managed to finally take his place in the technical area to see Liam Donachy settle in the visitors’ favour a pulsating Sydenhams Wessex Premier clash which ended 4-3.

Connor Whiteley’s early opener for Bash was quickly cancelled out as Brazilian playmaker Eder Batista levelled with a finely-taken strike.

Batista then sprinkled some magic dust on an assist for Fawzi Saadi as Poppies reached the break leading 2-1.

Two stunning strikes from Harrison White – the second of which in the 90th minute had looked destined to earn Bash a point – proved in vain.

Nasim Meddah’s 85th-minute effort edged Poppies back in front before Donachy prodded home in stoppage time to complete a hat-trick of league wins for the visitors.

Cuffie, part of a successful Bashley team in the late 1990s, told the Poppies Twitter: “I found my keys.

“They were in the bottom of one of our players bags and I am going to have a word with him because I have a funny feeling they did it on purpose. If we win every week, I’ll take that all day long!”