VT FC picked up the Southampton FA Senior Cup for the second time in three years at St Mary's - but the underdogs from Totton were snapping at their heels for much of last night's 3-0 final win.

It's been a great season for Vospers, with the Hampshire Premier Division title trophy already tucked away in their cup cabinet.

But they hardly exuded confidence in the early stages when an experienced Totton had the slight edge.

The longer it went, though, the stronger Vospers became and, after they broke the deadlock ten minutes into the second half, they relaxed and began to play their football and Totton Reserves, who had defended so stubbornly for so long, wilted in the final 20 minutes.

Vospers manager Dave Diaper summed up: "We were a bit edgy early on. It's a lovely pitch and the pace of the ball off the turf took a bit of getting used to.

"Totton kept us on our toes, but once we scored we settled down and started to play the way we can. Before that we hadn't really done ourselves justice."

The experienced Adam Hanley was at the heart of a lively Totton start in which Gareth Byres went close and Michael White tested out Vospers' keeper Scott O'Rourke.

But it was Vospers who should have opened the scoring when Andrew Turner set up a good opening for John McFarlane which he screwed wide.

Then, when Turner put Gary Male in behind the Totton defence in the 26th minute, it was only an alert piece of goalkeeping by Ben Shawyer which denied the 40-goal striker.

But Totton went even closer two minutes later when Hanley's flick from a corner provided David Fear with a close range header which Turner shouldered off the line, referee Will Penny turning down claims for a penalty.

Totton lost their momentum early in the second half when Fear, who had done some good work down the left flank, was injured.

The deadlock was finally broken after 56 minutes when John Parker fouled Martin Cornwall on the edge of the box and Vospers skipper Stuart Brown scored direct from the free-kick.

The second came on 74 minutes when man of the match Dean Byrne picked out substitute Ben Tyrrell on the right and his cross was volleyed home powerfully by McFarlane.

Alex Totten's cross brought a positive response from Byres, who fired just wide, but Vospers put the lid on the final after 85 minutes when Male got free on the left to cross for Michael Spinney to score with a downward header.

VT FC: O'Rourke, Brown, Colverson, Byrne, Lake, Turner, Cornwall, Moffatt, Spinney, Male, McFarlane. Subs: Pattison, Tyrrell, Diaper, Barnes, Williams.

AFC TOTTON RES: Shawyer, Hart Fear, Thurston, Winter, New, Byres, White, Hanley, Hartley, Parker. Subs: Payne, Totten, Rolph, Lloyd, Dorrington.

ATTENDANCE: 965.