TINTERN Abbey kept their nerve to seal the East Gwent League first division title in a winner-takes-all encounter at Thornwell Red and White.

Thornwell had home advantage and went into the game on the back of a morale-boosting Gill Cup final victory over Abbey.

The visitors needed only a draw to secure the title and if they needed any more motivation they had only to think back to their home clash with Thornwell in October when they suffered a 0-4 defeat.

The game was played on a good pitch lashed by high winds but Abbey adapted to the conditions and took an early lead through the league's top scorer Richard Wood.

Back came the home side, forcing a number of corners and pressurising the Abbey defence into a series of fouls on the edge of their penalty area, all of which came to nothing.

Tintern's mean defence, marshalled by inspirational skipper Sammy Marmont, were in no mood to concede and when Rory Prettyjohn doubled the lead with a low drive on 25 minutes, Thornwell's task looked even more daunting.

Ten minutes later it looked almost impossible when Rory's brother, Harrison, rifled a shot past Ian Stafford in Thornwell's goal to make it 3-0.

The second half offered little until Sammy Marmont tweaked his right hamstring and hobbled off.

But Tintern manager Gareth Moore has a strong squad and sent on Wayne Duffield who almost immediately thump­ed a shot against the far post with Stafford beaten.

Despite the absence of Marmont, Jonathan Blamire and Hywel Pugh kept Red and White at bay until the final minutes when Daniel Hines scored a consolation goal.

After Wood received his Golden Boot trophy as the league's leading scorer, Abbey celebrated with the league champions trophy and Moore reflected on the side's ambitions which will see them wearing a different strip next season when the squad will move en bloc to Mathern, a move forced because their own pitch is not up to Gwent County League standard.

Although there will be a Tintern Abbey side next season, Moore believes the move to Mathern will enable his players to play at a higher level.

He said: "We need to keep the squad together and we will be going all out to win the title and promotion next season, as Mathern Wanderers," he said.

"Our own pitch is not good enough to meet County League demands so we asked if we could move to Mathern and we have been welcomed. It means we can start a junior section as well, to develop talent. We are all very excited by the opportunity.

"This Tintern side has been together a long time and we are all mates and want to stay together. We can do what Underwood and Thornwell have done, won promotion to a higher standard of football, if we make this move."

Meanwhile, Thornwell manager Terry Woodward was disappointed with his team's performance but acknowledged that Tintern players seemed more determined to win.

"They looked like they wanted it more," he said.

"We never really got going and were never really in it. We missed two players from our back four but we can't complain. Tintern adapted to the conditions and scored at the right times.

"We will be stronger next season because we are likely to make a few signings during the summer and we are all looking forward to doing well next season."