DAN Brady and Sam Stoop both scored two tries as Banbury kept alive their dream of winning a fourth Oxfordshire Cup in a row.

The holders produced a scintillating second-half performance to beat Bicester 48-0 in a feisty semi-final at Bodicote Park.

Callum Horne, Tom Burman, Joe Mills and Justin Parker also crossed for Bulls as they set up a showdown with Chinnor Falcons, who beat Oxford Harlequins 38-18 on Thursday night, at Iffley Road in April.

Six-time winners Banbury led 12-0 at half-time, thanks to tries from No 8 Horne and winger Brady, but that scoreline somewhat flattered the hosts.

Bulls are bidding to become the first club since Quins in 2009 to win the competition four times in a row, but they looked a shadow of their usual selves in the opening 40 minutes.

Bicester, who were hoping to end a 22-year wait to reach a county final, dominated the majority of the half without troubling the scoreboard.

Judging by their meetings in the sixth tier last season when Banbury scored more than 50 points in both games, many were expecting a one-sided affair.

But Bicester had a determination about their play and pinned the home side, who lost centre Jack Briggs to injury early on, in their own half for the opening 25 minutes.

Crucially, they were unable to put points on the board during that period, Dan Walker missing a penalty, and the Southern Counties North side suffered the consequences.

Banbury had needed to put in some big tackles to keep their visitors at bay and only entered the visiting 22 twice in the first half, but they made the most of their opportunities.

After being awarded a scrum on Bicester’s five-metre line, Horne crashed over for the opening score, Ed Phillips, who started at fly-half, adding the extras.

It was quickly 12-0 as Stoop’s delightful, long, flat pass found centre Duncan Leese, who fed Brady to go over for an unconverted try in the corner.

Bicester headed into the break frustrated, perhaps evident by the scuffle between both sets of players as they made their way to the changing rooms.

A 12-point deficit was not the end of the world, but Bicester were soon put to the sword in the second half as Bulls found another gear.

Within two minutes Brady shrugged off three challenges and ignored a pass to his outside to ground the ball for his second try.

Stoop, who had replaced Briggs in the fifth minute, then charged over, Phillips converting, as Banbury were suddenly cruising.

Bicester lost replacement Francois Wiese to an arm injury and their evening got even worse when Stoop crossed again, Phillips adding the extras, to make it 31-0.

The tie had been settled and Bulls set about adding to their tally with tries from winger Burman, full-back Mills and scrum-half Parker, who scored a brilliant individual effort from the half-way line, which Phillips converted.

Bicester refused to give in and were camped inside Banbury’s half for the final five minutes, but they were unable to find a way through as Bulls proved too strong.

Banbury: Mills, Burman, Leese, Briggs, Burman, Phillips, Parker, Key, Isham, Eyston, Brock, Pratt, Buchan, Carr Archer, Horne. Reps: Winpenny, Backhouse, Gudge, Stoop, Boyle.

Bicester: Bethell, Walsh, Tarrega, Wordsworth, Aslett, Walker, Dawkins, Horwood, Anns, MacDonald, Spencer, Warner, Willmore, Winnington-Ingram, Cassidy. Reps: Sawyer, Westaway, Sibun, Wiese, Fowler.