Chichester captain Moses Kasujja hailed his young side after they completed a league and cup double.

Chi added the Sussex Trophy to their London South West Three title after beating Hove 22-19 in a thrilling final at Pulborough.

This was their third cup final appearance but their first victory against a Hove side playing in their first final since 1991.

It made it a season to remember for a club who began the campaign with modest ambitions.

Kasujja said: “I’m thrilled. It was amazing to win the league and to do the double is unbelievable. It would have been a real downer to have lost the cup.

“At the start of the season we had a young squad and a lot of new players. We were looking to get the right balance and to do well in the league.

“Our aim was to finish in the top four, we were not looking to win it.

“It wasn’t a surprise to end up winning the league because we worked hard and played very well but at the start of the season it wasn’t what we were aiming for.”

Kasujja was delighted with the way his players responded to some half-time changes after being overrun by Hove in the opening 40 minutes.

He said: “In the first half we were a bit disjointed. A couple of things weren’t right, we weren’t playing our normal game and, frankly, I didn’t think we wanted it enough.

“We made a change at half-time. Mark Giddings, a young lad, came on at hooker and played very well. I moved myself from No. 8 to 12 to try to open up some gaps in midfield and it seemed to work.

“We played really well in the second half and could have won by more.”

Hove had the better of the first half and took a 19-7 lead into the interval.

They went in front on eight minutes when Dave Wattam went over for a try in the corner, although Adam Phillips missed the conversion.

Chichester responded with a try of their own in the 15th minute when Richard Adams charged down a clearance and went over from 15 metres for a try which was converted by Jamie Knowles.

Hove re-asserted their authority with a second try, Ryan Morlen going over near the posts with Matt Sole converting for a 12-7 lead, and they extended it with a penalty try four minutes before half-time which Phillips converted.

The advantage could have been more but a simple penalty chance in front of the posts went begging.

Chichester made their changes at half-time and the momentum shifted as the forwards gained control, resulting in two tries early in the half.

Paul Todd scored the first and then Kasujja carved through the defence to score near the posts for a try which Knowles converted to level the scores.

Knowles then kicked a penalty to put Chi ahead and they held on despite a late rally from Hove.

Kasujja is now looking forward to next season when he hopes to continue their success.

He said: “We don’t intend to go up to come straight back down. We are ambitious and will have to recruit in the summer as any team going up a division would.

“There is a phenomenal job being done at this club from the top down, from the chairman to the players. The supporters this year have been fantastic. Home and away they have been there and it has really helped the boys.”

Hove’s Andy Ward said: “It has been a good season for us. That would have made it a great season had we won.”