FALMOUTH Town booked their place in the second round proper of the FA Vase with a fine 3-1 victory at home to Abingdon United on Saturday.

Town led early on through a calamitous own goal but suffered a setback midway through the half when defender Kirk Davies received a straight red card.

But the Hellenic League Division 1 East side could not take advantage of their extra man and paid the price as Luke Barner and Luke Brabyn scored in quick succession to all but seal their place in the next round.

Abingdon’s misery was complete when Luke McCormack was shown a red card late on, although they did manage a consolation through Tom Griffiths in the final few minutes.

Besides an early shot for Abingdon it was all Town in the opening minutes of the game, with captain James Ward coming close on two occasions before David Broglino forced a save out of goalkeeper Cameron Midwinter.

That pressure paid off in the seventh minute as Town took the lead with a horrible, horrible goal from the visitors’ point of view, but Town wouldn’t have cared.

A cross caused panic in the visitors' box and, under pressure from Barner, a defender tried to pass back to Midwinter, with the pair only able to watch as the ball rolled agonisingly into the back of the net.

Town looked for a second as Barner cut inside and fired at goal before Tom Griffiths’ dangerous cross just evaded Abingdon striker Henry Horton at the other end.

But the potentially game-changing moment arrived in the 26th minute when Davies and Cameron Hawtin raced to reach a loose ball. The Town right-back caught his man in doing so and was promptly given his marching orders by referee Adrian Clements.

The hosts looked somewhat shaky for the remainder of the first half as they adapted to their numerical disadvantage.

But besides James Gaul shooting over the bar from a tight angle the home side still seemed the more threatening on the break, with Barner and Walker still looking lively before the interval while Scott Kellow also managed to test the 'keeper.

It was Barner who almost doubled the hosts' advantage early in the second half with what would have been a sensational goal. The winger kept the ball in play with a beautiful flick, skipped past a tackle, raced into the box and smashed the ball against the underside of the crossbar.

Barner was involved again when Town were handed a huge opportunity to double their lead in the 56th minute when Walker was chopped down in the box by Griffiths. Barner stepped up to take the penalty but sent it over the crossbar and into the F-Troop behind the goal.

But he redeemed himself shortly after by grabbing Town’s all-important second goal. It was one made by Brabyn who sprinted from halfway to take the ball into the box before teeing up Barner, whose shot squeezed past Midwinter and into the net.

The tie was all but done and dusted only three minutes later as Town scored a third in style. Brabyn switched from provider to scorer and did it all himself, controlling a lofted pass and lifting it over the advancing 'keeper before slotting it into the net.

Barner almost made it four with a beautiful solo effort but saw his strike cannon off the underside of the crossbar, before any hope of an Abingdon comeback was extinguished when McCormack was dismissed for a late lunge on Walker.

Ward nearly capped a fine performance with a goal but was denied by a super save from Midwinter, who flung himself at the ball to tip his goalbound header away from the top corner.

The visitors did at least manage a late consolation to take back with them on the long trip back to Oxfordshire, with Griffiths lashing the ball past Barnes from 12 yards in the final few minutes.

Falmouth: R Barnes, K Davies, T Annear, S Kellow, T Clark, J Ward, L Barner (J Bowyer 74), R Martt (D Blizzard 30), L Brabyn, D Broglino (J Webber 88), O Walker. Subs (unused): T Walter, O Moody, T Nixon, S Parker-Billinge.

Abingdon: C Midwinter, T Griffiths, C Hawtin, R Hicks, L McCormack, N Kimber, B Crooks, K Moss, H Horton, H Sampford, J Gaul. Subs: J Wright, L Powell, C McCormack, A Davis, D Cooper.