WILTSHIRE SENIOR CUP: MALMESBURY Vics lifted the Wiltshire Senior Cup for the first time in their history on Tuesday night as Stuart Greatwood's brilliant individual strike proved enough to see off promoted Hellenic League rivals Pewsey Vale at Melksham Town FC.

Don Rogers' side went into the clash as firm favourites after clinching the runners-up spot in Division One West, but a spirited performance from in-form Malmesbury saw them take the trophy against the odds.

Malmesbury, beaten twice by Pewsey in the league last season, had languished in the bottom two for much of the campaign until five wins in their final six matches saw them finish in 12th spot.

Manager John Norris was delighted to see his side continue their fine run against Pewsey on Tuesday evening.

He said: "It was superb, a fantastic effort all round. We thoroughly deserved our win. We just outfought and outplayed them. The bottom line was that we wanted it more than Pewsey. We went out there with a game plan and it worked.

"I had 11 giants out there and the five on the bench deserve a mention. We always have a bottle of wine for the man of the match, but I'm not sure the club can afford 16 bottles on this occasion.

"When I took over last summer, my chairman said to me all he wanted to do was to avoid relegation. We worked hard to achieve that and to win the Senior Cup is the icing on the cake."

Greatwood's first half goal proved decisive in the end, and Norris felt it had been a strike worthy of winning any cup final.

He said: "It was a fantastic goal. He started the run in his own half and finished it off with a bullet header. I didn't care how it went in as long as we won, but it was magnificent and as good a goal as you'll see anywhere."

For Norris, the cup triumph completes a hat-trick of honours in the past three years. He led Sherston to promotion from the Wiltshire League Intermediate Division and the Wiltshire Junior Cup, before winning his first silverware as Malmesbury boss on Tuesday evening.

Said Norris: "I think I'll retire now. After all, I've won more than Alex Ferguson has this season.

"This one is a nice trophy to win. The club got to the final in 1962, but have never won it before. All the big teams, like Devizes, will be coming back into it next year, but we'll be the holders and the ones everyone wants to scrub off the list."

Paul Day squandered an early chance for Pewsey before Greatwood broke the deadlock in some style on 20 minutes.

He took possession inside his own half and set off on a surging run before laying the ball to former Chippenham Town man Will Halliwell on the left flank. Halliwell's cross into the box was inch-perfect and the advancing Greatwood's header gave John Haines no chance in the Pewsey goal.

Mick McNally fired a free kick into the Malmesbury defensive wall as Pewsey sought an equaliser, and not even the introduction of hotshot Craig Wall as a late substitute could save Rogers' men from a shock defeat.

Pewsey boss Rogers was disappointed with the attitude of his players and felt Malmesbury had been worthy winners. He said: "We were useless. They wanted it more than us and deserved to win. Fair play to them.

"It didn't look at all like we were playing in a cup final, and that's what I couldn't understand."

Pewsey's marathon season finally comes to an end on Saturday when they take on Division One West champions Hook Norton in the final of the Brian Wells Memorial Trophy at Chipping Norton, kick off 3pm.

Rogers' side booked their place in the final with a 1-0 win over Division One East champions Finchampstead on Saturday, Wall scoring the winner five minutes from time.