MET POLICE BUSHEY booked their place in the semi-final of the Aubrey Cup with a 7-3 victory over Bushey Rangers, who suffered their second successive quarter-final defeat.

In a match that just survived the adverse weather conditions, both sides tried valiantly to play attractive football, but neither could come to terms with the wind for the first quarter of the game.

Met Police, languishing in the wrong half of the Premier Division table, opened the scoring on 15 minutes when a Chris Cutmore corner drifted towards the rangy Mark Hughes, who stooped to nod home from close range.

Five minutes later, it was two when Ross Shorto scored direct from a wind-assisted corner.

Rangers, lying second in Division One, halved the arrears with the goal of the game, Mark Fox rifling the ball into the top left corner after Met Police had failed to clear their lines.

Met Police stalwart Harry Baldwin restored their advantage when he rounded the keeper after being sent clear by Ross Bardy, and then Cutmore increased the lead when he collected a pass from Renny Grant, and beat two players before firing home right-footed from six yards.

Just when the visitors looked like they were going to run away with the tie, Rangers threw the match back in the balance with a double strike before the end of a pulsating half.

Top scorer Darren Glenister scored from the spot, and then Sean Tobin made it 4-3 with a fine strike as Bushey ended the half in the ascendancy, despite trailing.

That was to be the end of Rangers' challenge as Met Police produced their best display for some time to score three second-half goals.

The first came ten minutes after the interval when good build-up play between Bardy, Shorto and Shaun Robinson eventually found Grant, who side-footed home past the on-rushing keeper.

Despite the loss of Ben Green and Baldwin through injury, replaced by the coaching duo of Dusty Miller and player-manager Andy George, Shorto bagged the fifth with a splendid left-foot volley from 20 yards.

Met Police completed an emphatic victory when Cutmore swung over a great cross that went over the keeper to Grant, who slid in at the far post for his second.

Met Police now await the winners of the quarter-final clash between Sun Postal and Wormley Rovers.