TAWNY Owl manager Anthony Pascarella praised his side’s all-round team performance after they reversed fortunes of last year’s Wiltshire Junior Cup Final defeat by beating Luxol 3-2.

Swindon & District League side Owl were defeated in last year’s final against the same opponents after surrendering a two-goal lead.

But a brace from Dave Gee coupled with Jack Allen’s first-half strike earned Tawny Owl a one-goal win after Luxol struck twice through Nick Taylor and Ash Bodman.

However Pascarella, who must now manage fitness levels within his side ahead of a gruelling end-of-season league schedule, believes Saturday’s result doesn’t tell the game’s full story.

He said: “We held out well in the end.

“To be honest I thought we played excellently. The players were superb, and the 3-2 score doesn’t tell the full story.

“In my opinion we were worthy of a two or three-goal win.”

Owl took the lead through Gee in the opening minutes of Saturday’s game before Allen doubled the lead mid-way through the first half.

Taylor reduced the lead to one by half-time before Gee re-established Pascarella’s side’s two-goal lead.

Though Bodman struck Luxol’s second, setting up a nervous finish to the game, Owl held firm to clinch the title.

Pascarella said: “We were in total control in the first half. Our finishing pleased me.

“Everyone performed great. Our defence, midfield, attack and substitutes.

“The Wiltshire Cup is always the hardest one to win, all teams pose a threat.

“It’s the main competition we want to win.

“Our confidence has been boosted now for the league.”

Pascarella will now switch his focus to league commitments with his side still in contention of landing the Swindon and District Premier Division title.

But a run of eight games in less than a month could prove a stumbling point in Owl’s bid to push for a title challenge, according to Pascarella.

He said: “The league is in our hands but there are a lot of games to cram in.

“Part of our run will depend on injuries.

“We’ll have no choice but to move things around, some of our men play on Sunday as well – four games a week is near impossible.

“We must be careful and manage the situation.

“If all of our remaining league games were on a Saturday I’d feel a lot more confident.”