Squad strength key as Saints claim Priaulx crown

They lifted the Priaulx Cup on Saturday afternoon following a 3-0 win over Belgrave Wanderers.

‘Really happy. So pleased we got it done nice and early as well,’ said St Martin’s coach Leon Meakin at full time.

‘The guys got the job done today, and I’m just delighted to get that one done and concentrate on the rest of the season.’

Saints have been unstoppable in this season as they were when they last won the title in 2022, winning 13 of their 15 league games so far and drawing the other two, making them the only unbeaten side in the league.

‘I think it’s the squad really. The quality that we’ve got there, the hunger, they stick together, we push each other hard in training and they all buy into it. There are no egos there and they are just absolutely brilliant,’ said Meakin.

The league champions now have an Upton and a Jeremie Cup final to focus on, and are still in the FA Cup and Stranger Cup.

‘If we can get to as many cup finals as we can, then we have given ourselves a chance to win more silverware. After today, if we were to get to the Stranger Cup final and the FA Cup Final, there is going to be 12 games to play, so that’s a lot of football left and to be successful we have got to play those games, so we are looking forward to it,’ said Meakin.

Cal Le Lacheur was the hero of the day as his side claimed the trophy on home turf in a match against the bottom club where nobody in local football saw a shock on the cards.

On the half-hour mark his shot from the left was deflected into the net off a defender, leaving some doubt on whether he could claim it.

But there was no doubt when Le Lacheur doubled lead just before half-time when he was put through and finished neatly in the bottom corner. Early in the second half he added a third and that was that.

Saints forced Bels goalkeeper Josh Tugby into some good saves, but at the other end chances for the visitors were few and far between. Their best came early on in the game when Simeon Marsh took a shot from distance, but young Max Wall in the Saints goal was untroubled.

‘It was obviously not one of our better performances,’ Meakin said.

‘I think we’re a little bit nervous to start with, although most of them have been there and done it [won the league] before, but then the goal settled us down, we played some good football at times and we were obviously comfortable winners in the end.’