LISKEARD Athletic joint boss Darren Gilbert felt the Blues were ‘the best side’ after finally securing the South West Peninsula League Premier West title at neighbours Dobwalls on Good Friday.

The Blues were cruising at 2-0 up, but after the village outfit equalised late on via Dan Alford after Ryan Winfield had pulled one back and Sam Gerken had been red-carded, it took Max Gilbert’s superb strike in the 89th minute to secure the title and banish the last two years of hurt.

Gilbert said: “The last two seasons have been very frustrating missing out to both St Austell and then Newquay.

“On Friday we didn’t look in any trouble, but once we made some changes, they scored and we had a red card which I didn’t think it was, and then they equalised we were down in the dumps. You think ‘here we go again’.

“But then one of our best players in Max steps up and we’ve won it in style.”

He continued: “It must be close to 10 times we’ve won matches late on and that shows a great desire and attitude to keep going.

“I think we’ve been the best side having taken six points against Elburton and Camelford and four against Penzance who are some of the teams around us, so we’ve done it when it’s really mattered.”

Gilbert, who was joined by Wayne Gamble and Simon Parnell on the touchline, is understandably delighted.

“It’s been a multitude of things as to why we’ve done so well, but certainly having a bigger squad has helped.

“We’ve been silly in the last couple of years of having a squad of 15 or 16, but once you have two or three out, you’re left short.

“We’ve also been superb at the back this year and everybody has done their jobs with the midfield running games and getting important goals and the strikers chipping in here and there.”

Liskeard take on St Day and then Callington on April 18 and 24 respectively – but the Blues joint boss already has his eye on the summer.

He said: “We won’t be taking our foot off the gas, we’ll be continuing as we are, first of all with the league games and then the Champions Bowl.

“We’ll get through to the end of the season and then have conversations with the players about who we want to stay.

“There’ll probably be a couple that will leave for various reasons which is what happens at the end of any season, but we know what areas we want to strengthen so that we can compete in the Western League (Premier Division).

“But we’re already starting to look ahead to next year as you can’t stand still. People will be after our players and vice-versa, but we know what players we’re after.

“Ninety-percent of the squad will hopefully stay, and if we can get three or four players in then we’ll be happy.”

Gilbert’s final words were for the whole operation at Lux Park.

He concluded: “We certainly don’t do it just on our own, there are an incredible amount of people behind the scenes whether that’s on the committee, the tea huts and the ground, as well as the supporters, that make a season so special. So we’d like to say a massive thank you to everybody at the club and we’re chuffed that we’re now into the next league.”