Photo Gallery: Dog House ready to chase a treble

Rookie manager Andy Eastaugh may be tempted to quit while he is ahead if Dog House can pull off the fantastic feat of a Sunday best treble.

Only five teams have ever won the Norfolk Sunday Senior Cup, Norwich Sunday League title and league cup in the same season before – but Dog House have a chance to carve their name in history after a Senior Cup 3-0 Carrow Road success over Marlborough set them on their way.

The in-form city pub side made it 12 wins on the spin as they brushed aside a strangely subdued Marlborough, and now have a league cup semi-final against Wymondham Rangers next month, as well as what promises to be a thrilling top flight title run-in to look forward to.

Manager Andy Eastaugh, who won the Sunday Senior Cup twice as a player with the Delaneys side from which Dog House evolved, is delighted to complete a hat-trick in his first season as manager.

Asked about treble chances, he said: “We’re probably outsiders for the Premier Division title but we have won 12 games on the trot and if we win the next 12 we will definitely be in the hunt. We’ve still got the top teams to play.

“If we can pull it off I think I would retire after that.”

He said he was delighted by his team’s Carrow Road showing sealed by a 55th-minute own goal by Dave Freeman, a 60th-minute strike from Jon Curtis with substitute Michael Timms wrapping up affairs. “We played really well on the day. I think we surprised a lot of people by the way we played. At half time when it was 0-0 we were a little bit nervous in case we were made to rue our missed chances,” said Eastaugh, who is assisted by player Neil Simmons in running the team. The victory was especially satisfying for Dog House secretary Ian Lythgoe, who having watched sons Ryan and Elliott lose last year, was delighted to see them on the winning side this time.

“It was really emotional. It made up for last year when we never turned up and were beaten 3-2 by AFC Wanderers,” he said.

His opposite number Roberta Smart said: “I have never seen them play so badly. I don’t know if it was nerves as quite a few of the players had played at Carrow Road before.”

Marlborough manager Mark Jones, whose team had only been beaten twice all season said: “Obviously we’re disappointed, we just didn’t turn up on the day. I don’t think we have played that badly collectively all season. It’s hard to put a finger on why. Fair play to Dog House, they deserved their victory. We’ll dust ourselves down and try and get back into the league and try and salvage something from the season.”