AVTAR CONSTRUCTION secured the league and cup double as they beat a plucky Lower Stratton side 2-1 to lift the Adver cup.

First half goals from Shane Hibbert and Aaron Welland, either side of a strike from Stratton’s Diogo Casiniro, were enough to secure the second piece of silverware of the season, a year after the club nearly dissolved.

Avtar opened the scoring when Shane Hibbert made the most of some poor defending to score at the back post.

Lower Stratton had looked like they were going to go into the break on level terms when Diogo Casiniro scored a superb lob with just a minute left of the half but Avtar stuck straight back through Aaron Welland.

"It was a bit frustrating," said player/manager Pete Smith after the game.

"We struggled for 90 minutes to be fair and I am surprised we won it.

"We didn't play well at all, the ball wasn't sticking and they kept getting to the ball before us but a win is a win.

"I changed my formation to 3-5-2 thinking that we would get a bit more of the ball but it just didn't work and they played long balls into the channels and we were chasing back to our goal more than we should have been.

"We got two good goals, and they could have nicked it at the end, Liam (Gooch) has made two good saves and we held on for the win.

"Our team are a bunch on whingers and that dressing room would have been an unhappy place if we had gone in at half-time 1-1 so it was good that we got one straight back.

"We've had a good unbeaten season, I'm 36 now and I'm not sure how much longer I will be playing for but we'll go again next season."

William Hooton had the first real chance of the game for Stratton 12 minutes in but his shot was high and wide of Liam Gooch’s goal.

Avtar responded immediately and Daniel Hiscocks got himself on the end of a high ball into the box but Chris Dalglish did well to deny the header and palm the shot to safety.

Stratton appeared to be frustrating their opposition but it was Avtar who took the lead just shy of the half hour mark when Stratton failed to clear a corner properly and Hibbert was on hand at the back post to loop his effort over the head of Dalglish.

Stratton did not let their heads drop and were back in the tie a minute before the break when Casiniro beat the offside trap and lofted the ball over Gooch with precision.

However Alan Spring’s side will be kicking themselves as parity lasted little over a minute as Welland was found in space at the back post and after taking a touch drilled it into the bottom corner.

William Hooton had the chance to level the scoring for a second time after 70 minutes.

With the goalkeeper caught in no-man’s land the forward got the ball caught in his feet but still managed to get around Gooch but saw his shot blocked by the last man.

Gooch was again called into action with ten minutes to go as he did well to deny Charlie Pugh at the back post.

Michael Chivers, who was returning from a broken neck, came on with five minutes to go as Avtar held on to go the season unbeaten.