SALHIN Abubakar scored twice in the space of three minutes for Hartley Wintney late on, as they booked their place in the last eight of the Southern League Cup beating Basingstoke Town 4-1.

The first good chance of the game fell to Aaron Redford his sweet shot from the edge of the area, but Hartley goalie Craig Bradshaw was able to beat it away in the eighth minute.

Two minutes later, Redford was forced out of the game due to injury, after looking very lively.

The rest of the first 45 minutes belonged to Hartley, as Josh Webb pulled the strings in midfield.

He also opened the scoring with a superbly taken free-kick which flew into the top corner after 20 minutes.

A minute later, from the opposite of the Tyron Smith tried his luck, but his time Colm McAdden tipped the ball over.

From the corner a goal mouth scramble saw Romario Hart's shot blocked by Shane Hollomby.

However, the visitors did not have to wait long for a second goal as on 25 minutes, a lovely give and go pass from Smith released Abubakar and he got to the byline and crossed for Mickel Platt to score.

Three minutes later, Platt was denied by the feet of McAdden.

The home side then hauled themselves back into the contest on 43 minutes. Ollie Harris found Smart, who forced a corner.

From this the ball came back to Sam Deadfield and his low shot squeezed in between goalkeeper and post.

Then in the final minute of the half, Hartley could have been awarded a penalty, after Hollamby's robust challenge on Michael Campbell.

After the break, the home side came back into the contest and on 55 minutes Deadfield played a free-kick down the left channel to Smart and his cross saw Hollamby get his head on the ball and somehow it went wide from under the bar.

As the hour mark came if looked more likely Town would level.

Rob Gerrard went on a nice run, before being up ended. Sub Dean Stow's free-kick hit the wall, but he got the ball back and played it out wide for Smart and as he wriggled through sub Reece Wylie and Abubakar he was pushed and Town were awarded a penalty.

Deadfield in slow motion took the spot kick and Bradshaw saved and caught the rebound from Stow.

This knocked the stuffing out of the home side and six minutes later they found themselves 4-1 down.

Hartley's third came from a low strike from Abubakar and then two minutes later, a nice ball ball from sub Harry Woodward released Platt and his cross to the back post was put away Abubakar for his second of the night.

The Hartley player so nearly completed a late hat-trick, but at full stretch just failed to get onto a ball from Platt.

The reward for Hartley is a home tie against either Salisbury or Blackfield and Langley.

Hartley joint manager Anthony Millerick said: "I was very pleased with performance I was a real team effort and we played with a lot of energy. Players have staked a claim to a shirt."

This Saturday, Hartley are back in league action away at Walton Casuals.