It is said that victory is often sweetest the first time around, and so it was with great joy and pride that Scott Morton claimed the Dudley Eve Trophy, his first major championship as head coach of North Village.

And while at a loss to describe the feeling of accomplishment, the grin that spread from cheek to cheek told of the bubbling happiness contained inside.

"It hasn't sunk in yet, but I guess after a few days it will,'' said Morton, who took over from Kenny Thompson at the beginning of the season. "I guess I'm just taking it in stride.

"I just love coaching. I love the day to day of trying to analyse different things and figure out how we can play better and so on ... so this ranks right up there.

"As far as other things in life, when you compare it to football, this is one of my most memorable achievements so far.'' Ribbed on the fact that he had likely accomplished more championship glory over the course of half a season than he did during his entire tenure as a player, Morton gave a hearty chuckle.

"I was saving it for my time as a coach,'' said Morton, who was a useful defender and midfielder before having his career cut short by a chronic knee problems. "Some people do it as players, some as coaches.'' On a more serious note, the coach expressed gratitude towards his predecessor, Thompson, for allowing him the opportunity to take over the reins once he moved into the position of director of football at the Pembroke club.

It was Morton whom Thompson hand-picked to succeed him, and groomed during his tenure as an assistant coach.

The result has been a virtual seamless transition, with Village now having added the Charity Cup and Dudley Eve to a collection already containing the FA Cup. They also head the Premier Division tables by a healthy four-point margin at the mid-way stage.

"I give many thanks to Kenny for laying the groundwork for us,'' said Morton.

"He built the solid base and I just have to build on top of that. I always give thanks to Kenny, because he was the one who sought me out.'' Photos by David Skinner Goalmouth scramble: Colts and Village players battle for a loose ball during the Dudley Eve Trophy final, second leg.