All-conquering Griff Inn are the first Rutland fooball club to win the Grantham Sunday League Premier Division title for nearly 20 years.

Their 6-1 home victory over Osbournby on Sunday – with Robbie Pearce netting a hat-trick – was enough to seal the crown by one point.

They follow in the stud marks of the now defunct St Josephs, who lifted the same championship with back-to-back triumphs in 1991 and 1992.

One of the players back then was Mark Brotherton, who coincidentally managed the Griff to the latest in a remarkable series of successess – they have won seven trophies in the past two seasons.

Brotherton, who announced he was stepping down after the weekend win, said: “We must be the most successful football club Oakham has ever produced.

“It takes some doing to keep winning cup finals because you need a little luck along the way.”

The Griff started off nervously but a brilliant strike from Jamie Forbes settled the nerves.

Pearce scored another before half-time, but there still seemed a nervousness about the Rutland side.

Their supporters had no need to worry, though, as Pearce completed his hat-trick in the second half before Osbournby managed to trouble stand-in goalkeeper Jamie Saddington.

They did finally pull one back but man of the match Chris Freeman scored number five for the Griff and Dion Joyce rounded off the rout with his 10th of the campaign.

Brotherton, who will be succeeded by assistant Pat Johnson, has decided to relinquish the reins at the Griff because he says he would find it hard to top the achievements of the past two campaigns.

They won the league below last season along with three knockout cups and this year they had already lifted two more cups before last weekend’s league triumph.

“I have taken the club as far as I can,” said Brotherton. “We have won everything and it is hard to keep going.

“It doesn’t exactly get boring but it’s not exciting anymore because you expect to win. That first season when we won four trophies was absolutely fantastic. I’ve enjoyed every minute of being manager of this team.”

The Griff had a tough run-in to the end of the league season – they had to win their last six matches and ended up topping the table by just one point.

l Griff Inn FC would like to thank everyone who has supported the club this year and helped make it another very successful season.

They also expressed their gratitude to Christine and Duncan at the Griff Inn pub in Oakham and to departing manager Mark Brotherton for all his efforts.