Dandy Town centre forward Kevin Hurdle grabbed two goals as the holders clinched their place in the semi-finals of the Martonmere Cup at the expense of last year's beaten finalists at Devonshire Rec last night.

But the giant striker will wonder how he didn't have a hat-trick as Town recovered from conceding a controversial penalty to overwhelm their opponents in the second half of a tie played at breakneck speed and with full commitment from both sides.

Hurdle got on the end of Seyoum Tuzo's curling free kick from the right in the 43rd minute to head the equaliser three minutes after Colts had taken the lead through Alzame Zuill's spot-kick and took advantage of a horrible defensive mix-up to hit Town's third nine minutes from time.

And as Colts went looking for some consolation in the last five minutes, he had at least three opportunities to get his third. First, he miscontrolled as he was put clear, then he lobbed inches wide after a long goal kick found its way to him on the edge of the box and finally, three minutes into stoppage time, he turned beautifully 12 yards out and scraped the crossbar with his powerful effort.

Colts had gone ahead when referee Lyndon Raynor spotted what must have been the slightest of shoves by Jahmiko Marshall on Clevon Hill as the Devonshire player tried to take down Kieshon Smith's throw into the area on his chest in the 40th minute.

Instead of protesting too vehemently, Town rolled up their sleeves and were back in business before the half was out.

And they took the lead soon after spurning three golden opportunities in six minutes with easily the goal of the night.

Tuzo set Darron Simons free on the left with a searing volleyed pass and when Simons clipped the ball into the six yard box, Devarr Boyles arrived right on cue to power past Kevin Bean.

In the 81st minute Bean blasted a clearance against his own defender Nathan Samuels and Hurdle had a simple task to roll the ball into the unguarded net.

Colts: K.Bean, C.Durham (T.Smith 85 mins), J.Samuels, N.Samuels, D.Trott, J.Aberdeen, W.Henry (J.Laws 33 mins), C.Hill (R.Saltus 65 mins), A.Zuill, K.Smith, M.Gibbons Town: J.Smith, S.Smith, J.Marshall, E.Richardson (K.Steede 79 mins), W.Mills (W.Rudo 62 mins), P.Douglas, D.Boyles, S.Tuzo (L.Furbert 72 mins), H.Wolfe, D.Simons, K.Hurdle Referee: Lyndon Raynor Men of the match: M.Gibbons (Colts); K.Hurdle (Town