David Bryant opened the scoring for the Essex side midway through the first half,when he beat the offside trap and fired low into the bottom corner.

Nicky Symonds added a second but four minutes before the break Dean Godden was adjudged to have brought down a Middlesex forward and as he was the last defender was sent off.

Bishops Stortford team-mate Ben Smith's reaction to the decision also earned him a red card.

Middlesex put the home defence under sustained pressure in the second half and on the hour looked to have got more of an advantage when Ryland Mynott was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Jonathan Thomas made some fine saves for the Olympian League and from one of his punts forward, Bryant added his second and Essex's third.

Rob Smith reduced the arrears with three minutes remaining but it was too little too late and the Olympian League now face the Hertfordshire County Senior League, who they beat 6-2 in their last meeting.