Kenilworth Wardens held on to beat Nuneaton Borough Under 21s in the Bedworth Nursing Cup to set up an intriguing final against fellow Coventry Alliance Division One side RS Sports.

Nuneaton were the favourites going into the match having beaten Premier team AFC Binley 5-0 in the quarter finals.

But it was Wardens, who beat Shilton 4-2 in the previous round, who started the better team.

This despite the fact that the away side had lost four key players, including captain Sam Taylor, ahead of kick off due to confusion about the game being on.

Wardens came closest to the opener on 20 minutes when debutant Louie Beck found Andy Legg who beat two players and hammered a shot from 25 yards onto the crossbar. The rebound fell to Guy Pearson who passed it back to Legg whose second strike once again beat the keeper but was cleared off the line by the recovering defender.

Nuneaton then missed three good chances in succession, following individual errors from Wardens players.

However Wardens came continued to make opportunities with Pearson missing two chances after poor clearances from the Nuneaton keeper. A cross by Luca Valle also whistled past the post after being missed by everyone.

And it was Wardens who deservedly took the lead on 44 minutes. A cross from James Butler was flicked on by substitute Josh Loan-Clarke, Valle kept the ball in play and his cross fell to Pearson. Pearson's mishit shot fell behind Legg who produced an acrobatic overhead kick which slowly nestled into the corner of the goal.

Nuneaton came out strongly in the second half, pinning Wardens in their own half, albeit without creating clear cut chances.

Against the run of play this time Wardens extended their lead on 60 minutes. The impressive Butler won the ball in his own half, played a one-two with Beck and then played a through ball to Legg, who from a tight angle smashed the ball through the Nuneaton keeper.

Nuneaton pulled a goal back immediately, playing a good ball down the left and scoring from a tight angle through the legs of Andy Whitehouse.

The hosts came close to equalising when their captain put a header over the bar from six yards out, with the Nuneaton skipper incensed that a penalty wasn't given for an alleged push from behind by Eamonn Richards.

On 70 minutes Kenilworth restored their two goal advantage. A clever pass from Valle was played into Pearson, who flicked the ball to Richards 12 yards out. Richards chose not to shoot and instead passed it to Legg, whose cross was turned in by Pearson at the back post.

But again Nuneaton pulled a goal back immediately after winning a penalty from a foul from Valle.

Pearson could have put Wardens two ahead for a third time on 75 minutes. Loan-Clarke crossed from the right, Pearson made a run across the box but his smart flick inched wide of the far post.

Nuneaton continued to put pressure on Wardens, overloading with long balls and crosses, but the brilliant Ash Saines and Tom Griffith combined with Whitehouse kept them at bay.

Wardens held on for an impressively victory against the scholarship side and will now play RS Sports in the final on April 15.

After the game manager Eamonn Richards said: "We played against a really good side, who were technically and physically probably better than us on the day. However I said before the game to my lads, we're an experienced and organised side who know how to defend and will always score, which was the difference today.

"Despite the lads we were missing, our big players really stood up today and all 12 lads put in brilliant performances. By the end of the game every player was dead on their feet due to the amount of running.

"When Andy Legg's in that mood he's unplayable. And Tom Griffith and Ash Saines we're almost perfect as a partnership at the back.

"And obviously looking forward to the final and confident we can finally beat RS"