Chris Shields insists Linfield deserve to enjoy their BetMcLean Cup success following a marathon season to date.
The Blues beat Coleraine 2-0 with second-half goals from Joel Cooper and Shields.
The former Dundalk midfielder held his nerve from the penalty spot to make it 2-0, after Chris McKee had been brought down inside the box by Stephen O'Donnell.
Read more: Second-half goals earn Blues BetMcLean Cup at Windsor Park
The goals were the two defining moments in a tense final that lacked many key moments, but it was David Healy's Linfield who took their chances at Windsor Park.
And in what was their 53rd game of the season so far, Shields said it was a "brilliant feeling" to get his hands on the League Cup trophy.
Shields told Sky Sports: "It is my first League Cup with the club and to score in my first final is a little bit extra special so happy days.
"If we had gone further in the Irish Cup we would have played nearly every game there is to play in a season. It has been a long season and there are boys coming up to playing 50 games already this season.
"That is no easy feat, but to see the determination to go and win silverware. We felt the League Cup would be the least we deserved and we hope this can kick us on now for the games before the split, and then after the split, too."
Shields now hopes Linfield's 11th BetMcLean Cup success can galvanise the squad as they look to defend their Premiership title.
They currently trail Larne by seven points with just seven games remaining.
"We will see how big a bounce this is when we take on Newry City next Saturday. But it is nice to get silverware, and that's the beauty of this competition in that you don't have to wait to the end of the year for it," Shields added.
"It comes at just the right time, if things haven't been going that well. But I think we were very good on the day and deserved winners.
"We have a squad of players, some of which this is their first final, and others who have had 12 or 13. Jimmy Callacher, Jamie Mulgrew and players like that have been there before.
"But it is nice to win silverware as a group. Because we have been through a a lot this season we can get to enjoy this tonight."
Sunday's win made it 15 games unbeaten on the bounce for Linfield at their Windsor Park home.
Shields added: "We like to make the pitch our own and use every part of it.
"We have honed in and we know what we need to do. And we have experience dotted around the pitch which always help, and also the exuberance of youth."
READ NEXT:
- Second-half goals earn Blues BetMcLean Cup at Windsor Park
- Colin Murray pulls out of BBC Radio show over Gary Lineker row
- Larne boost squad for title run-in as they confirm deal for Dutch winger
- Lee Lynch reveals future goal for Coleraine after summer rebuild
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