The morning didn't start perfectly for Cardea as a late groundsman held the kick off up by 15 minutes. By the time the nets were finally put up the winter sun had thawed the slight frost and the pitch was ready to play on.

Cardea started with Karl Broughton in goal and Dale Moody started at right back. Billy Thomson played through the middle joined by wingers Mike Dandrilli and Kynan Bereznyckyj.

The Windmill won the toss and chose to swap sides and Cardea were shooting towards Lawson Avenue in the first half. With five minutes gone Aaron Yeoman broke down the right, in behind the Windmill back four, but the centre back came across to put the ball out for a corner.

Yeoman took the corner and it went all the way through the area to the back post but Tony Harper missed his header and the ball went out of play for a Windmill goal kick.

Yeoman was involved again on ten minutes when he played the ball to Bereznyckyj on the edge of the area who squared to Thomson but his shot went wide. Thomson had another chance moments later when Dandrilli crossed low but the keeper was out well to smother the chance.

The deadlock was broken on 20 minutes after the referee awarded a penalty to Cardea. The ball was clipped into the box and as Dandrilli controlled it he was clattered by the goalkeeper. After much discussion about the taker Yeoman stepped up to slot the penalty into the corner and give Cardea a well deserved lead.

Halfway through the first half and Dale Moore and Dandrilli combined well down the left with the left back breaking into the box and testing the keeper at the near post.

Cardea were in total control of the match but Windmill snatched an equaliser against the run of play on the counter attack after 30 minutes. Cardea players were slow to get back from an attack and a move down the Windmill left saw the ball crossed into the box to two unmarked men and Craig Allison picked his spot and gave Broughton no chance.

The Tigers restored their lead on 40 minutes when another lung bursting run from captain Darly Patrick got him to the edge of the Windmill box and his ball to Dandrilli looked to be too close to the keeper but Dandrilli put him under pressure and stole the ball and found the back of the net with some help from the post.

Cardea were playing some fantastic football and it was typified by their 3rd goal as half time approached. Aaron Yeoman picked out another superb cross field pass to Patrick running into the box. His first touch was good and as the ball bounced he volleyed it into the net off the underside of the cross bar.

The half time whistle went and the lads were buzzing about the football that was played in the first half. The half time changes saw Thomson and Moody come off for Ryan Moore and Tom Rimes. Dandrilli would play down the middle with Rimes on the right and Bereznyckyj switching to the left.

Just five minutes into the second half and Patrick nearly recreated his first half goal, this time it was Bereznyckyj with the pass but Patrick's effort went just over the bar. Moments later and the old Patrick was back as he lost his footing in the centre circle and collapsed in a pile for the third time this season!!!

Half way through the second half and Dandrilli drifted to the left and got in behind the Windmill defence. His cross into the box was towards Yeoman who struck it first time but the keeper made a good save to deny him, Phil Brown almost caught the keeper out from the rebound but his shot was caught.

With 20 minutes to go captain Patrick was subbed off for Moody sparking a scramble for the armband. Patrick put it on the arm of Harper but vice captain Ryan Moore ran over and ripped it off the defenders arm and took over the captain's responsibilities. It seemed to inspire Moore as he headed off the line moments later from a rare Windmill attack.

In the last 10 minutes Cardea created multiple chances. The first resulted in the forth goal. A piercing ball through the middle of the Windmill defence by Dandrilli was latch onto by Thomson 30 yards out and he lobbed the goalkeeper with a magnificent effort for his first Cardea goal.

Dale Moody then whipped a ball in from left back and a outstretched boot from Thomson sent the ball just over the bar. Thomson was involved in the fifth goal moments later when he passed to Dale Moore who ran from central midfield and finished like a striker to score his first of the season.

It could have been more for Cardea as the clock ticked past 90 minutes. A corner from Dandrilli was headed just over by Rimes and then Dandrilli found himself one on one but he lost his bearings and shot tamely at the keeper.

The drama wasn't over as Windmill attacked for one last time and two attackers were in on goalkeeper Broughton. The keeper managed to hold them up and defenders got back on the line. The Windmill attacker managed to finally get the shot away but it was handled on the line by Ryan Moore to stop the goal.

Moore got away with no action against him but a penalty was awarded and it would be the last kick of the game. The striker stepped up to take it and Broughton pulled of a superb save to his left to deny Windmill a second goal.

The referee blew the final whistle and a 5-1 win means Cardea progress to the 3rd round of the PFA Sunday Junior Cup.

After the game manager Kev Webster said: "From the kick off you couldn't tell which team was the Division 2 side. We outclassed them all over the pitch and we were by far the better team and we could have scored more than the 5 we did.

"It was a good effort and we showed what a good side we can be. Some good football was played all round. Man of the match was a close run thing with Dale Moore just losing out to Yeoman, who ran the show today in his free role.

"A well done to both Billy and Dale for getting their first Cardea goals. Billy and Daz both notched goals that are contenders for goal of the season. A big thanks to Karl, making his competitive debut in goal, who looked very solid and a good keeper. It will be a bigger test next week against an unknown Northants side."

Cardea's next match will be in the Northants Sunday Shield versus Eastern United Reserves who currently sit 2nd in the Northamptonshire Conference Division 3, and recently won 17-0 in a local cup game.