PORTLAND UNITED 4 POOLE BOROUGH 0

THE Blues finally got their hands on the Magna Dorset Premier League trophy after easing to victory at Grove Corner in their penultimate match of the season.

Stand-in skipper Ross Doidge picked up the silverware alongside regular captain Lewis Whyton, who missed the game having sustained a broken arm against Chickerell in midweek.

An own goal and efforts from Joe Toghill, Dan Newnham – his first of the campaign – and substitute Ryan McKechnie sealed a comfortable three points against bottom-of-the-table Poole.

Afterwards, Portland boss Chris Wilson described his side’s achievement as the “pinnacle” of his own coaching career to date, surpassing the Dorset Senior League title he won with Easton United in 2010.

“It was extremely satisfying to get our hands on the trophy,” he said. “It has been a long season but over the course of it we’ve been the best team so it is fully justified.

“It would have been easy for the players to have had one eye on what was going to happen at the end of the match.

“But we got the three points, kept a clean sheet and I’m sure the crowd was entertained by our performance, which I think was better than when we clinched the title against Chickerell.”

He went on: “It’s been a pleasure to work with the players this season and they enjoy each other’s company which makes for a good atmosphere.

“When things have gone wrong we have never dwelt on it and I’ve always got a reaction from them.

“I won the Senior League with Easton but as a coach or manager this is the pinnacle of what I have done so far.”

The championship party was in full swing by half-time as the islanders surged into a 3-0 lead.

The first came off a Poole player for an own goal before Toghill volleyed in from the edge of area to double Portland’s advantage.

Newnham added a third with a header from a corner and McKechnie, on for Rob Maxted, nodded in the fourth late in the second half.

“Motivation could have been a sticky subject but we’ve got a really honest bunch of players and they know supporters pay to come to the games,” added Wilson.

“The lads put in a really solid performance and I’m proud of them.

“Credit should go to Poole too. They are a much-improved side from the one we played at the start of the season and gave us a good game.

“They went with wing-backs and we were able to run riot at times with long diagonal passes between them and the centre halves.”

Portland have one league fixture left at home to Blandford United tonight (6.30pm).

Blues: Weeks, Newnham, Carter (Reader 55), Henley, Carmichael, Harris, Doidge, Smith, Conning (Dailey 70), Toghill, Maxted (McKechnie 60)