TWO-GOAL Carl Stead believed the complexion of the FA Vase final turned following his incredible first effort and that the second, a dubiously-awarded penalty, "killed Clitheroe off".

But he commended the fight shown by the Blues during the entire game before taking the assembled media through Brigg's three strikes to glory.

"We could not slacken off even though they lost heart after going two-nil down," said Stead, who failed to make the first team during a spell with Scarborough last season.

"We respected them after our two meetings in the FA Cup this season but knew that if we played to our strengths we had the beating of them.

"The first goal I just collected the ball on my chest, set myself in front of goal, hit it and went off celebrating with the boys. "The second, the penalty, I didn't hit well.

"Had the goalkeeper guessed the right way, he would have saved it.

"It shouldn't have been a penalty - the ball just bounced up onto the defender's hand.

"But it definitely took the pressure off us. Two-nil is a comfortable lead on a pitch that size when your opponents have got to chase the game.

"Then the third took a deflection and was really the icing on the cake.

"If we had been told before the game it would be 3-0, we'd have said 'thank you very much'."

Assistant manager John Kaye typified the elation among the Brigg contingent after the game.

"It was just fantastic," he said.

"Everything went just to plan and the right team, on the day, won."

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