Scott Morton may be recovering from broken ribs and a punctured lung, but his North Village side certainly allowed him to breathe easy during yesterday's Martonmere Cup final.

The Village coach was injured in a serious road accident towards the end of last month and looked on from the stands at the National Sports Centre as his side put in a complete team performance to break Devonshire Cougars' hearts.

It was the nearest Morton's wife would allow him to the action, but, on this showing, he should be okay there for a few weeks to come, his stand-in team of Kentoine Jennings and Allan Smith performing ably in his absence.

It proved to be a day for people to step up to the plate, with Keith Jennings picking up the captain's armband with namesake Kevin out injured and stating afterwards that he would be doing his utmost to hang on to it.

But although it was Village who claimed the spoils, thanks to goals from Ralph Bean Jnr, Dwight Warren and Kofi Dill, Cougars more than played their part in an entertaining game which was, for the most part, played in the right spirit.

In fact, had Albert Smith's men been as clinical in their finishing as their Village counterparts, the scoreline might have read a little differently.

But they weren't and it was Village's drums which beat the loudest as referee Tony Mouchette blew the final whistle.

"I was excited with the way we played," said Morton afterwards. "It's the first time I have seen them play as a unit ? everyone playing for one another. We achieved the result we were looking for and when that happens, as a coach, you feel a lot more gratified, seeing all your work on the training ground put into practise."

Morton said he did not think he would be back on the bench for another month at least.

"I have no problem and won't be rushing," he said. "I have capable assistants in Allan Smith and Kentoine Jennings and have many senior or veteran players. A lot of things other coaches might have to go over or deal with I don't."

The coach said he was grateful for the 'get well' messages he had received in the weeks since the accident.

"It was a big shock to everyone and I give thanks to everyone who sent out messages of appreciation, flowers and everyone who had me in their prayers," he said. "Right now, I have to stay home and relax and can't get too excited. My wife is keeping me under wraps and I'm glad she is by my side."

Captain Jennings, meanwhile, agreed finishing was the difference between the two teams.

"We have been stressing the need to put the chances away when we get them," he said. "Today was one of those days. We got them and put them away early."

The skipper said the fact the goals were spread around proved how effective a unit Village were.

"That shows that we played as a team, everyone was unselfish and we played very well. The whole team stood out," he said, adding that he was honoured the triumph had come under his leadership.

"I am proud to be skipper. It was my first team and I am very proud.

"My brother is normally skipper but he is out with injury and so I guess it just got passed down. I told them that once I got it I wouldn't be looking to give it up and this has been a good start for me."

The action was end to end from referee Anthony Mouchette's first whistle, but it took 28 minutes for the deadlock to be broken. Vernon Tankard swung over a corner to the far post, Kentoine Jennings headed down and Bean was there to poke home from about four yards in Shaun Goater-fashion.

Undaunted, Cougars, who had earlier come close through Domico Coddington, fought back, Raymond Beach fashioning a chance for himself nine minutes before the break. However, after holding off the attentions of two defenders inside the box, he skewed his shot wide with just 'keeper Zane Hendrickson to beat.

Cougars were made to pay four minutes later when a cross from the right was dummied by Keith Jennings, the ball rolling across the edge of the area and into the path of Warren, who unleashed a thunderbolt strike that Ricardo Brangman still wouldn't have saved if he had been told it was coming last week.

That sent Village in at the half two goals to the good and so, if Cougars were to salvage anything from the game, they needed to act quickly after the restart.

They almost did when a Village attack broke down and the ball was pumped forward to Beach on the halfway line. Holding off a defender all the way to the area, he got himself in position for the shot but Hendrickson, later named MVP, anticipated well and used his body to block.

At the other end, Bean forced a corner after his shot came back off Brangman and from the resultant flag-kick, Village sealed the victory. The ball was played into the middle and when it was only half-cleared Dill made no mistake, firing in an angled drive in the 78th minute for 3-0.

There was still chance for Cougars to claim a consolation, but Shawn Smith headed just wide at the far post from a last minute corner. He was a disappointed man afterwards, but agreed with the consensus.

"We missed some good chances and the goalkeeper made some good saves and they could have changed the match, especially as we had the better of the chances early in the game," Smith said, adding that the coach had done his best to fire them up at half-time. "We have been down a goal in our last few matches and so he just told us to pull our socks up and, if we wanted it, go out there and fight for it. We did attack a little bit more in the second-half but I think we still could have dug deeper.

"But it was a long way back (after the third goal) and so hats off to Village."

Earlier, PHC lifted the womens Konica Cup after defeating Rude Girls 3-2.

Shauntae Todd, Tschana Wade and Carrie Kenneth scored for PHC, while Rude Girls replied through a pair of Chevonne Furbert strikes.

"They worked very, very hard and this is just rewards for the work they have put in," said PHC coach Wendell Furbert. "We were in a comfort zone early on but we got slack and they (Rude Girls) got back into the game and dominated. But we held firm and we got the result."

Z.Hendrickson; J.Boyles; K.Binns; K.Dill; Kentoine Jennings; D.Jennings; M.Hansey; V.Tankard (J.Jennings, 75 mins); Keith Jennings; R.Bean Jnr; D.Warren (K.Bean, 89 mins).

R.Brangman; D.Eve; S.Smith; O.Butterfield; J.Deshields; J.Salaam (M.Smith, 55 mins); K.Steede; D.Coddington; S.Minors (L.Tota, 72 mins); R.Beach (R.Barker, 80 mins); H.Wolfe.R.Bean Jnr (Village); O.Butterfield, R.Beach (Cougars). D.Warren (Village); R.Beach (Cougars). A.Mouchette.