The North Village triple crown championship express gathered momentum at the National Sports Centre (NSC) on Sunday where the perennial cup kings outclassed Dandy Town during an entertaining Friendship Trophy Final.

And with one jewel remaining in the coveted triple crown left to play for, Village can now channel all of their emphasis and energies towards qualifying for a fifth FA Cup Final in six seasons and clinching a second triple crown haul overall and first since 1977-78.

Yesterday, several members from Village's previous triple crown championship squad heaped their blessings upon the club's current crop of players and wished them the best of luck as they bid to become the first local club to achieve the feat since Vasco da Gama in 1997-98.

"It's really hard to describe winning the triple crown in words, although it was an exhilarating feeling to have accomplished it after the likes of Somerset Trojans and PHC," said Wendell (Joe) Trott, Village's captain at the time.

Trojans were the first ever club to achieve the feat in 1967-68 and the sole club to date to win the triple crown three times on the trot. PHC achieved the feat in 1970-71.

Village defeated Zebras 3-1 in the 1977-78 FA Cup Final to clinch the triple crown.

The defending FA Cup champions will place their title on the line at Police Field on Sunday against First Division Prospect United in what will be a repeat of the 2002-03 FA Cup Final.

"North Village is the only team I ever played for and so obviously I still have close bonds with the team," Trott said. "Even if I don't get around to matches today I still feel that love for the club and bond with the players that are there.

"I know exactly what's now going through their minds and they just have to stay focused on winning that last trophy. And with the support of past players and the club's executive to back them, I wish the team all of the best."

Former Reds winger Cal Dill reckons winning the league and Friendship Trophy are the two most difficult hurdles to overcome.

"Between winning the league and Friendship was probably the most difficult tasks for us at the time," he recalled. "Mentally it's tough because you realise you have to get over those two hurdles first. But after you have overcome those hurdles everything from that point onwards becomes downhill."

Dill was particularly delighted with the manner in which Village surgically dissected Hornets on Sunday.

"I thoroughly enjoyed watching that match because I thought Village played some attractive football," he said.

Sunday's win also saw Village win a third trophy in a single season for the fifth consecutive season.

The Reds equalled PHC Zebras' record for the most consecutive Charity Cup wins on the bounce (four) last September with victory over Devonshire Cougars.

Former Village midfielder Cornell Castle Sr. ? who won the triple crown at age 21 ? said the key to achieving the feat is to stay focused on the task at hand.

"We basically took things one game at a time and as we go to closer to achieving the triple crown we did feel a bit of anxiety," he said. "But once the matches started all of that was forgotten and based on performances I've seen from this current team, I don't see why that shouldn't go all the way."

Former team-mate Wendell (Woolly) Baxter agreed.

"This team has just got stronger and stronger over the past four months and they proved on Sunday that they can raise their game to whole new level whenever they have to," he said. "Hopefully they can now sustain this type of form."

Baxter described winning the triple crown as "exhilarating".

"Achieving it just elevates the player and the club to a whole new level. And for us to win the triple crown during our time put us right up there with the best," he said.

Former Village midfielder Robert Calderon paid tribute to coach Dwayne (Streaker) Adams on winning a third cup title in his very first year coaching at the Premier Division club.

"A lot of credit has to go to the people who actually coach the team who in my estimation have the best squad of senior players in the league," he said.

"So a lot of credit has to go to Streaker (Adams) and Maceo (Dill) because there were those who coached before them who never won any trophies let alone three in their first year."

Calderon was 22 years when he won a triple crown at Village along with twin brother Richard who was voted as the Red's Most Valuable Player in 1977-78.

"Winning the triple Crown was an outstanding and memorable achievement, given the average age of the team was under 23 years of age and the fact that PHC, Somerset Trojans and Southampton Rangers all had very strong teams that year. And with a degree of luck either team could have won trophies," he added.

"And given the fact I grew up watching some of the best teams play, I thought it was a tremendous accomplishment for us and for me it validated the type of football we were playing at Village during the time."

Ralph (Gumbo) Bean ? arguably the most famous player ever to slip on a North Village jersey ? fancies the club's current team's chances of achieving the coveted triple crown as good.

"Their chances look good because they have a good blend of experience and youth and of course North Village have always been known to produce raw talent," he said.

"And just to get these naturally gifted players in a good environment where they can receive some good coaching makes for success."

Bean ? whose son Ralph Jr. scored Village's first goal against Hornets on Sunday ? said he will forever cherish winning the triple crown.

"It was a very tremendous feeling basically because at the time we were never considered as a powerhouse though we were known as spoilers," he said. "We always had the ability to beat teams at the top but never really excelled and won trophies for ourselves.

"So when it came around to us winning trophies and the triple crown it was an unbelievable joy."

Sunday was Village's third overall Friendship triumph over Hornets.

Speaking in the wake of his team's defeat, Town coach Devarr Boyles, told : "We know we are a good team and we just have to carry on trying to develop a winning mentality.

"I thought there were periods during the game when we were staring defeat right in the face and some of the players didn't necessarily respond or display a winning mentality."

Hornets take on nine-time FA Cup champions PHC at Southampton Oval in Sunday's quarter-finals of the prestigious competition celebrating its 50th anniversary next month.