Trojans are eyeing a second consecutive England Hockey Harrod UK Trophy triumph after beating Gore Court 6-1 to clinch a place in next month's final.

A four-goal Paul Hilton salvo, coupled with a brace by Chris Wiseman, sent Trojans into the final against Banbury at East Grinstead on Sunday May 21. As cup holders, Trojans will be favourites to lift the trophy again.

But skipper Craig Sommerville warns that the in-form Oxfordshire side will provide formidable opposition.

"Banbury are an up-and-coming side. In the league, they won 14 matches in an unbeaten 16-game run to reach the Regional play-offs later this month," he warned.

"Handily, they are playing against Ashford (Kent) at Haslemere on April 29, so we'll have the opportunity to go and see what's coming our way."

Banbury clinched their Trophy final slot with a 3-2 win over Southport.

Trojans were enigmatic in the extreme against Gore Court - quite brilliant in two goal bursts which destroyed the Kent team.

"But downright awful in the middle stages of the game," Sommerville said.

In the opening 15 minutes it looked as though Trojans would run up a cricket score against an SPL Division 2 side they had already beaten twice in the league this season.

Trojans carved the Kent side's defence to pieces, with Hilton latching on to a pass from the back to open Trojans' account and then Wiseman rifling home a shot from the edge of the D.

Jim McLean performed heroics in the Gore Court goal, blocking several on-target shots and watching in relief as a number of other efforts fizzed just wide.

Such was Trojans dominance that the management decided - unwisely as it transpired - to change personnel and formation.

Defensive lynch-pin Simon Lucas was surprisingly withdrawn.

It proved costly - Doug Reed getting a decisive touch past Steve Cole to put Gore Court back in the game.

"For 15 minutes either side of half-time, Trojans failed to find their gears, and went through spells without any control of possession," Sommerville complained.

Trojans endured some anxious moments at the back and had a nasty scare when Gore Court top-scorer Paul Surrige thundered a shot against the base of the upright.

It was the necessary wake-up call for Trojans, who were on the brink of allowing a second cup-final appearance to slip from their grasp.

Within five minutes they had regained the initiative - Wiseman's close-stick trickery on the right-hand by-line taking him past three challenges to set up Hilton with a simple chance.

Confidence restored, Trojans proceeded to change gear and tear the Gore Court defence to pieces for a second time. In seemingly no time at all, Hilton had completed his hat-trick and, after Wiseman had made it 5-1, tucked away a sixth goal.

It was a strange and erratic performance.

"When we were good we were superb," reflected manager Lindsay Hilton after the match. "But in our bad spells we were simply awful."