Paget Lions clinched a maiden First Division championship on Sunday when they defeated X-Roads 2-1 at White Hill Field in what was a prelude to next month?s Shield Final at the National Sports Centre.

Playing without player/coach Marvin Belboda and striker Dion Stovell, the team earned a second domestic title on the tenth anniversary of their Shield victory in 1996 thanks to a a pair of goals from Nathan Simmons.

Lions goalkeeper Tarik Smith said yesterday: ?This victory was a huge relief. People were in tears because we worked extremely hard this year and actually had to struggle in the last two matches.

?Sunday was a tough match for us because Marvin and Dion were away and so we had to rely on others to get us through. And it was sweet for some of the players who came into the team and got the job completed like Nathan (Simmons) who has been with Paget his whole life and scored the winning goals for us.

?It was a really good day and we all got in the locker room afterwards and gave thanks and praises to the Almighty.?

The two clubs will meet again in the Shield Final on March 12, exactly one month after Lions clinched promotion to the Premier Division for the first time in their history.

Paget are gunning to become the second straight First Division club to win the League and Shield double behind Ireland Rangers who achieved the feat last season.

?We now look forward to the opportunity to add another piece of silverware to our trophy cabinet,? Smith added. ?X-Roads actually played their hearts out against us and we must give them a lot of credit because they could have just laid down and let us win having nothing really to play for. Instead they gave us a run for our money.

?We have two matches to play, and we intend to keep the throttle wide open and try to win the double.?

While Lions locked up the league championship, the race for the other promotion spot between St.David?s, Wolves and Southampton Rangers remains wide open.

A St.David?s? victory in their final match against Wolves at the Den on Sunday would clinch promotion outright for the Islanders. Wolves? hopes rest on victory over the Islanders and a Paget win at White Hill Field over Rangers who have a game in hand with Prospect United.

In the event both Wolves and Rangers grab maximum points from their remaining fixtures, promotion could be decided by goal difference.

Rangers currently have a goal difference of plus 22 while Wolves have plus 15.

But given St.David?s? sizeable goal difference of plus 44, a draw in Sunday?s match with Wolves should be enough to catapult the East Enders to the top tier.