By Chris Morris

OLD Boltonians secured a league and cup double on Saturday when they beat Roach Dynamos 3-1 in the final of the First XI Cup.

On paper it looked a straightforward test for the newly-crowned Premier Division champions against a side struggling at the bottom of the division below.

But it did not turn out that way as Roach made the strong favourites fight all the way.

After a 30-minute deadlock Bolts took a two-goal lead with strikes in the 30th and 38th minutes.

Dynamos' impressive performance belied their second-bottom placing in Division One – although they could rise a couple of places if they win or draw their final game of the season.

They held Bolts again for 35 minutes of the second half before pulling a goal back to give themselves hope of a shock victory.

It was not to be, however, as Steve Eccleshare's winning machine had the last word.

“It was tough, and that’s all credit to them,” said the Old Bolts manager.

“They are a great passing team, and they forced us to play our best.”

It was a cagey opening half hour at Daisy Hill's New Sirs ground, with the only real opportunity being a shot from Bolts' Sean Rushton that hit a post.

Darren Dalton broke the deadlock when he beat his man on the edge of the box and made room to place his effort past the Roach goalkeeper.

Lee Worswick doubled the lead when he cut in from the left, out-witted his marker and fired in a powerful shot which the keeper got a hand to but could not keep out.

After Roach halved the arrears David Warburton grabbed Bolts' third with an instinctive lob from 40 yards over the stranded keeper who had raced out to beat Sean Rushton to the ball and clear.

Eccleshare said: “The team has been fantastic and the spirit of the players, even when it has got tough, has been great.

“We’ve been close over the years, and now to win the league and the cup is everything the club deserves.”