Hat-trick hero Dave Gellatly believes half a century without silverware made East Grinstead Town even more determined to win the Sussex RUR Cup last night.

Grinstead won the competition for the first time in their history after beating nine-man Three Bridges at Culver Road.

Gellatly opened the scoring after three minutes and scored two penalties in the second half.

Kris Trevor hit the other to give Grinstead the first piece of silverware since winning the League Cup in 1952.

Three Bridges had Pat Massaro and Damian Webber sent off in the second half to complete a miserable night.

Gellatly said: "We definitely wanted to win more than them. We were up for it from the start and there was no way we were going to lose.

"The club hasn't won anything for ages and we were determined not to blow it.

"The players wanted to do it for ourselves, the manager and everyone at the club and I'm so pleased we did."

Victory has capped one of Grinstead's most successful seasons in the top flight of the County League. They are challenging for a top five finish, just a year after being promoted from division two as the third placed team.

Manager Bob Smith is now looking to the future and wants to ensure the club do not have to wait another 52 years for their next trophy.

He said: "We have waited a long time for this and I would like to think we can go on from here and win more trophies.

"I think we are good enough but my problem now is trying to keep the team together. Hopefully the players have enjoyed this - I know I have - and they will want to stay so we can build for next season."

Grinstead's emphatic win was hard to take for local rivals Bridges, who have not won a major honour for 16 years. They won the competition in 1983 and 1988 but have suffered a barren spell with only a Division Two Cup in 1998 giving them cause for celebration.

Manager Sammy Donnelly, who has won the competition three times, is now looking for a good response from his side in the League as they look to push for the title. Bridges are ten points off leaders Chichester but have two games in hand with nine to play.

He said: "The night belonged to East Grinstead and they thoroughly deserved it. They have waited a long time for this and I don't want to take anything away from them by saying we didn't perform."

Gellatly got Grinstead off to a flying start with barely four minutes on the clock. Kris Trevor did well down the inside left channel and laid the ball off to the Grinstead captain who took a touch before drilling into the top corner from just inside the box.

Bridges should have been level on 14 minutes when Andy Alexander was left unmarked at a corner but the big defender scuffed his effort from eight yards horribly wide.

Grinstead suffered their only setback of the game four minutes later when goalkeeper Dave Tidy limped off with a leg injury. His replacement Lee Whibley had little to do, however, as Grinstead dominated the rest of the game.

Trevor beat the offside trap to run clean through just before half-time but his touch let him down and Bridges keeper Alan Mansfield did well to smother the ball.

The Grinstead striker missed from three yards out with the goal gaping ten minutes after the break but he was not to be denied moments later with a free header from a cross by Adam Dart.

Gellatly added a third from the penalty spot on 74 minutes after Nick Levitt had been tripped by Alexander.

It got even worse for Bridges two minutes later when Massaro saw red for stamping on Adam Dart in front of the referee.

Webber joined him five minutes from time when he was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Gellatly completed the scoring and his hat-trick in injury time from another penalty after a foul on Ben Burns.