Mike Barton signed off in perfect style as Matson clinched victory over Old Centralians in the North Gloucestershire Combination Senior Cup final in the closing stages of an enthralling game at Kingsholm.

Centre Connor Gwilliam slotted a touchline conversion to give Matson a thrilling 26-24 win on what proved to be a very special day for the club, a day that saw them complete their first clean sweep since 1997 after wins for their 2nds and 3rds in the finals of the Junior Cup and the Glanville Cup.

And for 32-year-old 1^st XV captain Barton it really was the perfect ending because it was his final game before retirement.

“It was a nice way to go out,” said the second row. “I’ve been at the club since I was 17 and I’ve been in the first team since I was 20.

“This is my second season as captain, lifting the cup was a special moment.”

But Barton and his men certainly had to work very hard for their win with Old Centralians, who play a division below Matson in Regional 2 Severn, pushing their Regional 1 South West opponents all the way.

“The game situation and the way we won made our success all the sweeter,” said Barton.

It was wing Aaron Morefield’s try that brought the scores level after he held on to scrum-half Findlay Young’s cross-field kick before going over in the corner.

That put Gwilliam centre stage and Barton said: “I had every confidence in him, even though the ball fell off the tee twice.

“He always seems to pull it out of the hat, he’s just that sort of player.”

And while Barton was obviously delighted for Gwilliam, he was just as delighted for tighthead prop Jack Knight, who came on as a replacement for the final half hour.

“He broke his neck in October,” explained Barton. “He’d played a few games since coming back but hadn’t played prop. He came on when we were under a lot of pressure.”

Barton’s main focus was obviously on his team, but he was just as pleased with the success of the 2nds and 3rds who beat Gloucester Old Boys 25-18 and Gordon League 3rds 17-12 respectively.

“To win all three cups for the first time for 27 years makes everything even better,” continued Barton, who said he may play the occasional game next season if needed. “It’s great for the club and also this generation of players, it means a lot.”

It certainly does and Joe Stokes, who was a spectator when Matson last completed the clean sweep, was certainly delighted after their win.

The 36-year-old scrum-half was a first-team player for 18 years before taking over the captaincy of the 2nds at the start of the campaign.

It was the first time that he’d captained a cup-winning side at Kingsholm and he admitted it was “very special” when he lifted the cup.

“It was a great day for the club, it’s a big achievement,” he said. “All the games were close, they could all have gone either way.”

Counties 3 Gloucestershire North champions Gloucester Old Boys had beaten Matson 2nds twice in the league this season and Stokes added: “What makes this cup win all the more special is that we’ve beaten three first teams.

“We beat Widden Old Boys and Brockworth before playing Gloucester Old Boys.”

Daniel Herd, who captained Matson’s 3rds to their cup final win, also played in the 2nds’  victory over Gloucester Old Boys.

“I went on as a replacement,” said the 36-year-old prop. “I scored our final try. I won two finals on Sunday.”

The one-time first-teamer was obviously delighted with the 3rds’ win.

“I never felt safe all the way through,” he said. “It was a real tough game, they had a really good team.

“Our team is made up mainly of vets but we’ve had a good season because we also won the Gloucester and District 3 League title.”