BOCA Seniors underlined their title ambitions with an emphatic win against the reigning champions – most of it with just 10 men.

Seniors’ centre back Martin Carroll was shown a straight red for swearing at the referee with barely 10 minutes on the clock.

The match official’s decision stunned all concerned but it was Welly who were left in a state of shock.

For it was the champions and not their closest rivals who played as if they were a player short given Boca’s superioty.

Even when they had to reshuffle after going down to 10 men – Jonathan Cleery dropping in to defence and John Haworth falling back in to midfield – Boca bossed proceedings in the top of the table clash.

While the first half remained goalless, it was Boca who carved out the better chances with Welly keeper saving well from Mick Berry and Matt Martindale.

Berry then wasted the best chance of the half – the first of many that would fall his way – when he raced on to a through ball from Neil Cronshaw but shot tamely at the keeper.

In reply, Welly’s best effort was a speculative shot from Ben Hargreaves while Phil Liggins did well to head clear a Chris Clarkson cross with Sam Dean lurking at the far post.

But Boca made the breakthrough soon after the restart when Martindale drilled the ball home from Dave Palf’s well delivered free kick.

Welly replied with a driving run from Dean but the striker fired wide.

And Boca doubled their advantage soon after when Martindale cleverly lifted the ball over the Welly defence to John Haworth who beat the offside trap and slid the ball past the advancing Highton.

The busy Highton was in action again when he saved at the feet of Berry before Alex Rowan cleared Martindale’s floated effort off the line from the resulting loose ball.

Welly began to push forward and Clarkson fired narrowly wide and Dean headed Luke Conti’s inviting cross over the bar.

Berry had another great chance to extend Boca’s lead but opted to cut back inside when put through by Haworth.

They were then indepted to keeper Robert Airey who pulled off a wonderful fingertip save to push Dean’s piledriver over the bar.

Dean then undid all that hard work when he headed over from close range.

Berry had two more great chances to get on the scoresheet, lifting one effort over the bar when clear through before Highton again got the better of him.

But Boca did get the third goal their performance merited when the hard-working Tom Riley fed Ben Howarth with a superb threaded ball who skipped around the keeper and cooly slotted the ball home.