A HAT-TRICK from Jack Duffy ensured that Old Town United avenged last year’s defeat at the same stage to lift the George Thomas/ Don Rogers cup.

A first half double from Duffy either side of a deflected strike from James Lewis set the mood as Division One outfit Chiseldon failed to deal with their Premier Division rivals.

Duffy secured the match ball 15 minutes after the break with Chiseldon grabbing a late consolation through Nick Salter.

“It’s pretty amazing to be fair,” said player/manager Dale Bird, who dedicated the win to his son Tom Rose who is ill in hospital.

“It is five years that Old Town have been here and we haven’t won one.

“I am really proud of the lads today, it was an amazing performance. I am a bit narked that we conceded one but we scored four and killed the game off early.

“We know Chiseldon have players with pace so I tried setting up to stop their pace coming from the wings and it seemed to work in the first half.

“It’s been tight between Jack and Chris (Woods) for top goal scorer this season but Jack killed it off today I think.

“My son has gone in for surgery today so I did this for him. He is fighting on and he gave us fighting spirit.”

It took a while for both sides to find their footing in the game as they got used to the pitch at the Webb’s Wood stadium.

Old Town started to command themselves on Chiseldon and Duffy thought he had opened the scoring in the 10th minute when he turned the ball home but the referee had pulled it back for a foul on Chiseldon keeper Matt Hawkins.

That was a warning sign though and just two minutes later Duffy got himself off the mark when Jamie McCabe saw a shot in the box blocked and it fell to the tall forward to poke home.

Old Town doubled their lead in the 16th minute when James Lewis saw a drilled cross from the left of the box deflected by Chiseldon defender Dan Webb past his own keeper.

United were in full control of the game after 20 minutes when Lewis skipped past his man down the left before picking out Duffy with his cross to score his second of the game.

The fourth came for Old Town 15 minutes into the second half when a poor goal kick was headed forward and Duffy latched on to forward ball before calmly sliding the ball past Hawkins.

Charlie Holdsworth was called into his first meaningful save of the game two minutes later when Dan Vaughan tried his luck with a free-kick, on the left corner of the box, but the United keeper did well to guide it onto the post.

Holdsworth was again called into action with 12 minutes to go as he denied Salter’s header from close range.

Chiseldon did get the consolation goal their late surge deserved seven minutes from time as Nick Salter beat Holdsworth from close range but that was all the lower division side could muster up in terms of a comeback as Old Town lifted the trophy.

Striker Duffy was pleased to get redemption for a penalty miss in the first round of the Adver Cup against Ramsbury to fall into the George Thomas/ Don Rogers Cup.

“They all blame me for going out because it was in the last round of the game but it works out in the end,” he said after taking his goal tally for the season to 20.

“I have scored quite a few goals this season but not a hat-trick so it is good for me and good for the confidence.

“I think I am quite good with both feet so to score two with my left foot and one with my right I am pleased with that.”