TROWBRIDGE LEAGUE: CASTLE Combe broke Broughton Gifford's five-year stranglehold on the Division One title on Saturday 27 April with a 3-2 victory over the reigning champions.

Gifford have dominated the league's main honours in recent seasons, but Combe's recent winning run saw them into pole position before Saturday's crunch clash and an injury time goal gave them the points that guaranteed the title.

For manager Barry Smith, 32, the triumph capped four successful seasons at the helm and he admitted the occasion had left him an emotional wreck at the final whistle.

Said Smith: "I'm still dumbstruck. It hasn't sunk in that we've done it. I know it is only the Trowbridge League, but it has been a long season and we have got our reward in the end.

"The club were struggling just to get a team out when I took it on. Four years down the line, it is great to get some success after putting all that hard work into it.

"I must admit I was crying afterwards because the whole thing take up a lot of your life. Your emotions kind of overtake you in the end."

Smith was proud of the way his side took the game to the reigning champions in Saturday's title decider.

He said: "We were very positive. No-one gave us a chance in February, but we went into it on the back of six wins and a draw would have done us. I told them the only way to get one was to attack and I think I got through about 40 fags during the game.

"It was 2-2 late on and Broughton Gifford were still attacking. When we got the goal in injury time, I finally relaxed and knew we were there."

Smith will hand over the managerial reigns to former Malmesbury man Tony Hulberts after the club's Wiltshire Junior Cup final against Swindon outfit 147 on May 11.

He hopes to manage higher up the non-league pyramid one day, but is looking forward to a break from managing before taking on a new role.

"I want a few years' rest. At this level you have to charge players £4 to play every week and to win a league without any money to spend makes it more of an achievement, I think.

"The players are all staying, so the club is in a good state for the new manager. It has been a complete team performance throughout the club and hopefully my efforts will help them in the future."