MAIDENHEAD Nomads secretary David Perkins believes his players are deserved winners of the Tony Blay Memorial Trophy this season.

The Nomads beat lower-league Datchet Village Reserves 2-1 in the final at Holloways Park, Beaconsfield on Thursday, April 14, with goals from Jack Shea and Rob Smith.

It is fifth time lucky in a cup final for the club following four previous defeats, and Perkins is delighted that Maidenhead will finish the season with some silverware.

“There was a feeling of relief I suppose, but maybe that is just a personal thing,” he admitted to the Observer. “We were hanging on a little bit towards the end so it’s a relief and elation to have finally won something.

“Though Datchet are in a league below, they’re going to walk the division, and beat a team in ours in the semi-finals, so it was by no means a full gone conclusion.

“I think we played well in the first-half. Datchet came out and gave it a go in the second and we gave away a sloppy goal, but the supporters I was standing with kept on saying we were going to win, so they were confident.

“I thought we were the better team in the first-half. The second was a bit scratchy but we just done enough to win. It was a pretty good performance and I would say it’s the right result.

“Obviously I’m delighted. It’s always nice to be in a cup final and to win silverware at the end of the season is great for the club.”