KENNY Vaughan admits he’d love a quick chance to atone for Poppies’ luckless top-flight defeat at Winchester City in the Wessex League Cup last four.

The Victoria Park-based outfit led the Premier Division leaders 1-0 going into stoppage time in a league clash earlier this month.

But Vaughan felt his side were “robbed” of a notable victory when City levelled with a controversial penalty before snatching all three points with a late goal.

Now Vaughan can sense he might be handed an early opportunity to gain revenge in the cup following Poppies’ impressive 2-0 triumph over Downton in the quarter-final last night.

Poppies’ success sealed their semi-final place alongside Winchester, who toppled Lymington 1-0, Bemerton, who beat Pewsey Vale 4-1, and Hamble, who defeated Moneyfields 4-1.

A rare Wayne Crutcher header, and Sean Hogan’s 30-yard thunderbolt, inflicted a first defeat of the season by a Wessex League club on Division One leaders Downton.

Asked whom he would like Poppies to be drawn against in the two-legged semi-finals, Vaughan said: “We’re still smarting over the Winchester game when we really were robbed .

“We’re still licking our wounds over that one, so if a Winchester-Poppies clash came up I’d be pretty happy.

“It might give us that desire to put things right. Having said that, I don’t really mind who we get. I’d just like to get to the final.

“We certainly don’t fear anyone left in the competition.”

Downton, seemingly set to seal promotion, impressed Vaughan, who said: “We had two chances and took them. They had their chances and didn’t. It was as simple as that. But Downton are a very good side and won’t be out of place in the Premier Division next season.”

Poppies: Harvell, Wyatt, Byrne, Crutcher, Arnold, Hogan (Richards 80), Phillipson-Masters, Blake, Kemble, Pickett, Rowley. Unused subs: McGrath, Carsdale, Vaughan.