Dandy Town turned in a five star performance yesterday to secure the Premier League title in coach Andrew Bascome's first season.

With destiny in their own hands, Town knew all they needed to do was win and their rivals, Devonshire Colts and North Village, could do nothing about it.

And they couldn't have had better opponents for a must-win situation if they had picked them themselves.

Town were so dominant they could and maybe should have put 10 past already-relegated Rangers -- that it was only five was down to two factors, their own profligacy in front of goal and the outstanding talent that is 'keeper Jason Williams.

They were 3-0 up by the break -- Carlos Smith, Kevin Hurdle and man-of-the-match Darron Simons netting.

Simons and Smith both then added to their tally after half-time to ensure the championship went to St.John's Road.

Long-time Town player and current club captain Lionel Furbert was close to tears when he was presented with the trophy.

"It feels good. Everyone wrote us off at the beginning of the season,'' he said. "We got off to a rocky start but we guys put in a lot of work during the summer. We put in a lot of work and in the end it paid off.

"It's a long time coming, but we deserved it. We have a wonderful team and I love my guys.

Furbert went on: "I've had some good days but this is sweet. I have never been captain before, so this means a lot to me. I have been with Town for 16 years and this means a lot. I have paid my dues and I'm happy. The party is on!'' Coach Bascome said he did not give the title too much thought until recently.

"I try to take every game as it comes and don't try to look too far ahead. As the season went on we got closer and closer. For this game it was the first time I was able to get my head up and see where we were,'' he said.

Bascome said he could not have wished for a better set of players and believed the success was due to the commitment each and every one had made to the club.

"They worked hard in pre-season, they came to St David's for eight weeks.

They stuck at the game, they came ready to play and allowed me to exercise my thoughts and they were successful,'' he said.

Bascome, who has also had success at Boulevard, said this surpassed everything that had gone before.

"The last time at Boulevard I was a player-coach and that was great as well, don't get me wrong, but this time is something real special,'' he said.

Town came out well aware of what was at stake and Williams was forced to pull off the first of a string of top-drawer saves after just five minutes.

Devarr Boyles hit a first-time ball from distance and Bermuda's Under-17 national team 'keeper arched backwards to tip it over the bar.

Moments later Williams had to sprint from his line to beat Simons to the ball and prevent another goal opportunity.

However, there was little the custodian could do about Town's opener after 22 minutes.

Boyles fed Carlos Smith down the right and he hit a low drive inside the near post that gave Williams no chance.

The Rangers man palmed away an effort by Simons before he had to pick the ball out of his net once again after 35 minutes.

His opposite number, Jason Smith, launched a route one ball down the centre and big Kevin Hurdle allowed it to bounce once on the edge of the box before heading over Williams as he came off his line.

Three minutes later it was 3-0 -- Simons dancing past two defensive challenges before drawing Williams and slipping the ball into the unguarded net.

As the break approached it should have been 4-0, but an unmarked Hurdle inexplicably headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Bascome's boys wrap up title From Page 25 If this had been a boxing match the referee would have brought it to a halt while the teams were in their respective half-time "corners''.

But it wasn't and Rangers emerged for another 45 minutes of pummelling from the heirs apparent.

Hurdle fired over from point blank range, Williams tipped away a Simons drive and then thwarted both Hurdle and Raymond Beach in the same move.

But Simons would not be denied his pair in the 75th minute.

Running onto a header from Boyles he outstripped the last defender and shot across Williams into the bottom right hand corner.

That it was clearly Dandy Town's day was not in question, but as if to emphasise the point Smith netted a fluke second and his team's fifth with nine minutes to go.

Latching onto a ball 25 yards out he let fly, the shot clipping a defender's boot and looping over the helpless Williams and into the back of the net.

S.Rangers: J.Williams; J.Raynor; P.Brangman; W.Raynor; S.Simmons; D.Burch; C.Simons; J.Darrell (T.Brown, 53 mins); K.Tucker (M.Swan, 46 mins); T.Flood; D.Lowe (S.Bailey, 30 mins).

Dandy Town: J.Smith; L.Furbert; P.Douglas; K.Mundy; D.Binns (D.Christopher, 52 mins); S.Smith; D.Boyles; C.Smith; R.Beach; D.Simons (sub 79 mins); K.Hurdle (S.Tuzo, 74 mins).

Yellow cards: D.Burch, T.Flood (Rangers).

Men of the match: J.Williams (Rangers); D.Simons (Dandy Town).

Referee: Stuart Crockwell.

Photos by Arthur Bean We are the champions: Dandy Town captain Lionel Furbert (centre) is mobbed by team-mates and fans after lifting the league trophy at Southampton Oval yesterday.

Fine and Dandy: Man-of-the-match Darron Simons skips past Rangers defender Darius Burch and the despairing dive of Jason Williams to net Town's third goal.