DEVIZES' FA Vase run came to a sorry end as they were outbattled and out-thought by their hungry visitors from Essex in front of a bumper crowd at Nursteed Road.

Pete Tripp's men were second best in every department as Jewson Eastern Counties League outfit Maldon eased into the last four and showed a curious lack of desire in the club's biggest game for more than 20 years.

The clash attracted 491 fans, compared to an average home league gate of around 30, but the home side seldom looked like potential semi-finalists from the moment Robbie Reinalt headed the visitors in front on 20 minutes.

Goals from the hugely impressive Nicky Smith, once a schoolboy player with Swindon Town, and striker Terry Warwick completed Tripp's misery in the second half.

The Devizes boss was left dumbfounded by his side's lack of effort and had few complaints over the margin of defeat.

Said Tripp: "The worst thing is we have lost 3-0 and haven't really put up a fight. We have gone out with a whimper and, after Clitheroe in the last round, it is just so disappointing.

"They have let themselves down. People have turned up on Saturday to watch them and have probably gone away saying 'It is no wonder they are struggling at the bottom of the table'.

"We have put in a below-par performance and we are all disappointed. It is all right going to Clitheroe and doing it, but no one saw us up there.

"We should be doing it in front of friends and family and we haven't performed."

Wing-back Nick Mooney rattled the Maldon crossbar early on, but Devizes created little of note in front of goal and were largely restricted to shots from distance by the visiting back line.

Tripp felt the battle had been lost in central midfield, where experienced duo Smith and Stuart Gray worked tirelessly to deny Devizes a way back into the match.

He said: "I thought the first half was evenly matched and they've scored with a good header, but we've hit the bar at the other end. It could have gone either way going into half-time.

"We had a chance in the second half, but we needed more quality service into the front two. Their midfield two shut us down and didn't allow us that.

"And we've just sat there and died for them. They were getting tackles in and starting to make things happen. We let ourselves get beaten up."

Ex-Swindon and Forest Green striker Paul Hunt was drafted in for the game and joined Neil Dix up front, but the veteran frontman had few chances to shine and was replaced early in the second half.

Said Tripp: "We haven't knocked anything into feet for him or gone and supported him. He was coming back into the middle of the park looking for passes. We haven't kept any shape at all."

Hunt was preferred to Dave Godley and Justin Lisle in attack, while Jim Griffin returned to midfield after missing a string of recent games due to work commitments.

Devizes had a brisk wind at their backs in the first period and produced the first shot on target in the tenth minute, Ryan Lovegrove's tame effort from 25 yards easily held by Maldon goalkeeper Neil Stanbridge.

The hosts' best chance of the afternoon came four minutes later.

Strong play from Simon Drewitt on the left of the area gave Hunt the chance to fashion an opening for Mooney 18 yards out, but the wing back seemed to mis-hit hit effort and the ball rebounded to safety off the crossbar.

Stanbridge then held another long-range effort from Lovegrove, but it was the visitors who gradually began to assume control of proceedings.

Andy Coombes was in the right place to block a cross-shot from Craig Huttley, and then conceded the corner from which Maldon took the lead in the 20th minute.

Ian Thomspon whipped in a dangerous delivery from the left and Reinalt stole a march on defender Gary Campbell before planting a firm header into the top right corner of Warren Jackson's net.

Griffin chose to shoot from distance on the half hour with three team mates better placed on the edge of the box, but Maldon were enjoying plenty of freedom on the flanks and almost doubled their lead before the interval.

Reinalt's excellent right wing cross was headed into the side-netting by Warwick, who blazed high and wide a minute before the break from Thompson's low centre.

A torrential downpour at half-time made conditions difficult for both sets of players in a scrappy opening to the second period, with Devizes looking increasingly devoid of ideas in the middle of the park.

Huttley slid the ball wide of goal on 56 minutes, while ex-Brighton forward Reinalt directed his header narrowly off-target from another Thompson cross two minutes later.

Godley replaced the tiring Hunt with 25 minutes left, but was given little chance to work his magic as Devizes were sunk by two goals in as many minutes.

The ball was again worked to the Molden right and, when skipper Dave Hopkins failed to clear Mark Cranfield's centre, Smith sent a delightful curling effort into the top corner of the net from 20 yards.

Smith was again instrumental as his side confirmed their semi-final spot on 72 minutes. The former Colchester man won a free kick on the left and his quick delivery found the head of Warwick, who glanced the ball past a static Jackson and into the corner.

Tripp threw strike duo Owen Bryan and Lisle into the fray, but the home side were already well beaten. Godley forced Stanbridge into a rare save, while Lovegrove saw an effort flash just wide of the Maldon goalkeeper's right post in injury time.

While Maldon have a two-legged semi-final and a possible trip to Upton Park to look forward to, Tripp knows he faces a huge task to keep Devizes in the Screwfix Direct League's top flight.

He said: "We wanted to make sure we came in at the end having given our best, but we haven't even started. We didn't offer anything in front of goal.

"Some of our lads aren't really up for a fight. Some of them have ability and can play, but I don't know if they have the heart when they really need to stand up and be counted.

"No-one can give them the heart, not even Alex Ferguson. I really think they have let themselves down and that is why I'm just so disappointed."