NEWQUAY boss Shaun Middleton praised the Peppermints’ ‘unbelievable performance’ after they secured the South West Peninsula League Premier West title on Thursday night with a 5-0 demolition of Wendron United at Mount Wise.

Needing just a point from their final game to pip Liskeard Athletic, a record league crowd of 1,854 saw the coastal club secure promotion to the Western League Premier Division for the first time in their history thanks to Louis Price (2), an own goal and late finishes from Callam McOnie and Alex Cole.

Speaking not long after the final whistle, Middleton said: “I said to the boys before the game if you could write a story on our season so far with suspensions, injuries and all the other stuff that’s gone on, you’d read it and halfway through go who wrote this? The guy who wrote Rocky Six or something?

“We’ve had a turbulent season, but I had a feeling tonight we’d do it and do it in style, and we did.

“You can see what it means to the town and the community, it’s unbelievable, you can’t write this sort of story.”

Middleton wanted his squad to put in a champions display and felt they delivered as they secured a first major trophy since the Cornwall Senior Cup in 1992.

He said: “I said to the boys I don’t just want to win tonight, but I want us to win with a true performance, and we were amazing.

“We’re always good defensively but we showed quality and offensively it was an unbelievable performance.

“We just looked dangerous every time we went forward.

He continued: “I had some tough decisions to make tonight and had to leave some very good players out, but sometimes as a manager you’ve got to go with your gut and my gut was right tonight.”

Both Newquay and Liskeard have suffered blips since the turn of the year, but four wins in their last five games have got the job done as they finished on 74 points from their 30 games, two ahead of the Blues.

Middleton continued: “We should have wrapped this up a while ago, but Liskeard have Gilby (Darren Gilbert) in charge who’s a winner and he’ll fight until the end.

“I respect that guy so highly, he’s someone I used to look up to as a player and as a manager he’s won numerous trophies.

“It’s great for us to go one step further, but credit to them. If they’d won it we’d congratulate them but it certainly makes it more special when it gets tighter.

“But that said I’d liked it to have been easier if I’m honest. I’ve had some sleepless nights, but to do it like this is very special.”

The Peppermints will take on Cornish rivals St Austell, Saltash United and St Blazey next season, plus a host of clubs from across the South West, and Middleton cannot wait.

He said: “I’ve always said Newquay is a sleeping giant, its playing well below its level.

“With the community and the population and what football means to the town, it’s massive in Newquay.

“It’s been hard as a player standing there and watching your best players leave because it’s not good enough, but those days are gone now.

“We’ll enjoy tonight and then start plotting next season in a few weeks.”