WIMBORNE Town showed their superiority to finally shed their always-the-bridesmaid tag by lifting the Dorset Senior Cup courtesy of an emphatic 7-0 win over Shaftesbury at the County Ground last night.

The Southern League West high-fliers were a class apart from the Rockies, one of the most successful clubs in the county in recent years following back-to-back promotions from the Dorset Premier League to Sydenhams Wessex Premier.

A hat-trick from Toby Holmes, coupled with efforts from Billy Maybury, Luke Burbidge, Luke Holmes and a Jack Vallis own goal, settled in favour of the Magpies the most one-sided final since they had been on the receiving end of an 8-0 hammering by Weymouth in 1986.

It was the first time Wimborne had won the trophy since beating Wareham Rangers in 1997 – the Cuthbury outfit having finished runners-up on no fewer than five occasions between 1999 and 2013.

Victory also gave former Cherries star Matty Holmes his first piece of silverware in management, the club having been transformed since he took the reins with assistants Danny Holmes and Shane Traynor at the start of last season.

Matty Holmes told the Daily Echo: “It is a brilliant achievement and a deserved one considering our route to the final.

“We did it the hard way and had to beat Gillingham, last season’s finalists, Dorchester and Poole.

“We had Shaftesbury watched once and knew they would work hard. We knew we would have to be on our game and my record against Wessex League teams hasn't been great in the FA Cup.

“I was delighted to get the first trophy for everybody associated with the club. The fans travel in their numbers and they can see the way we have been trying to build over the past couple of years.”

Maybury’s 33rd-minute free-kick opened the floodgates before Burbidge netted from long range and Vallis turned a cross from Toby Holmes past his own goalkeeper as Magpies led 3-0 at the break.

Toby Holmes netted three times in the second half, his first a penalty, before Luke Holmes completed the scoring with a sumptuous strike late on.

Matty Holmes added: “To win something, you have to be doing something right, whatever cup it is.

“As a player, it gives you belief and breeds confidence.

“That is what we try to instil in the players. We say to them ‘don’t be at Wimborne just for the sake of it and don’t be happy with mid-table’.

“Danny and Shane are both winners and we all encourage the players to push themselves.

“We are in a tough area with Poole, Weymouth and Dorchester. They are all big clubs who we can’t really compete with financially. But we have played really well in this competition this season and I am delighted to have won it.”

Magpies: Benfield, Walker, Hester (Cole, 82), Davidson, Oldring, Kellaway, Stokoe (L Holmes, 60), Maybury, T Holmes, Burbidge, Lovell (Bayston, 86). Unused subs: Penny, Walsh (g/k).