Martin Hinshelwood insists winning the Senior Cup was the perfect way to end a season of progress.
Albion Reserves completed a league and cup double as they beat Worthing 2-0 in awful conditions at Priory Lane, Eastbourne, yesterday.
Although the first team finished just above the League One relegation zone, director of football Hinshelwood believes the future is bright for the Seagulls.
The likes of Joel Lynch, Dean Cox, Sam Rents and yesterday's two-goal hero Jake Robinson have made significant strides forward this season and the next generation of youngsters played their part as the reserves collected their second piece of silverware in five days.
Hinshelwood said: "Again we had a young side out there and sometimes we forget how young we are as a football club - the first team and the reserves.
"We had Alex Frutos who is 25 and Chris Breach who is 21 and the rest out there were teenagers. It was a big experience for them to play in a county final and they will learn something from it.
"What the reserves have achieved shows the attitude throughout the club is that everybody wants to be here. They want to learn, they want to progress and that is all you can ask. Sometimes taking the reserve side is the worst job in the club but it has been an absolute pleasure this year.
"As a club we have had a decent season, we have learnt a lot from the first team right the way down. Hopefully we can push on again next season."
A vicious wind spoilt yesterday's final as a spectacle. The side kicking against it struggled throughout to get the ball out of their own half and it was almost laughable as you watched a goalkeeper's standing kick head downfield before spinning back in the direction from where it came.
A crowd of 873 - down on what was expected because of the weather - was left hugely disappointed by the occasion.
Worthing, kicking with the wind in the first half, had the better of proceedings but when they failed to score by half-time you knew there was only going to be one winner.
The Rebels had chances, notably a fierce strike from right-back Andy Alexander which John Sullivan tipped over the bar one-handed and, more significantly, a great opportunity for Sam Francis shortly before half-time which Sullivan saved well for a corner.
Albion looked dangerous when they got the ball on the deck but, apart from Robinson, too few of them were ready to do that.
Robinson and Joe Gatting had a chance apiece in the first half, when Andy Pearson also struck a post from a corner, and it seemed only a matter of time before one of the front pair scored after the turnaround.
As it was it took 23 minutes - and the calming influence of substitute Tommy Elphick, fresh from an impressive first team outing at Cheltenham - to break the deadlock.
Doug Loft set up the goal with a surging run down the left and a precision pass inside the full-back for Robinson to finish with aplomb in the far corner.
The combination accounted for the second goal five minutes later, man-of-the-match Loft unleashing a stinging shot after another good run which Rikki Banks could only parry for Robinson to score a poacher's second.
Hinshelwood added: "Jake's first was a great finish and that is Jake Robinson for you. Hopefully he will do that more next season in the first team.
"I am disappointed for the supporters. They came to watch a game of football which both clubs wanted to play and unfortunately it became a farce because of the conditions."
Worthing boss Danny Bloor said: "It was a game dominated by the conditions. The wind was horrible. I always thought one goal would decide it and the chance that Sam Francis missed or was saved just before half-time, whichever way you look at it, could have been the difference.
"We needed to score with the wind in the first half but it didn't help losing Andy Lutwyche through injury, which forced us to drop Ben Andrews into defence."
Albion Reserves: Sullivan, Hinshelwood, Cobbs, T. Fraser, Breach, Pearson (sub Elphick 64), Chamberlain (sub Skinner 83), Loft, Gatting, Robinson, Frutos (sub Fogden 87).
Subs not used: Gargan, R.Martin.
Worthing: Banks. Keehan, Simpson, Lawrence, Axten, Lutwyche (sub J.Fraser 31), Francis (sub Brotherton 64), Akehurst (sub Lawley 86), Alexander, Andrews, Knee.
Subs not used: Rogers, Hunter.
Referee: Warren Atkin (Crawley).
Attendance: 873.
Man-of-the-match: Doug Loft.
Worthing have released former Watford, Lincoln and Crawley striker Omari Coleman.
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