Southampton's focus remains firmly on returning to the Premier League but it will not harm their prospects to pick up accolades along the way. That is just what they did on a sun-kissed afternoon at Wembley yesterday, winning their first ever Johnstone's Paint Trophy with a performance that was assured as it was unforgiving.

This victory may never echo through the club's history quite like the FA Cup triumph over Manchester United in 1976, but having endured two relegations and a plunge into administration in the last five years, Southampton's supporters will cherish the lift that only an occasion such as this can bring.

That over 44,000 of them were in attendance to see it – a joint record for a single club at the newly built national stadium – seemed wholly appropriate. They were only denied any real sense of drama. Carlisle and Southampton came into this contest separated by one place in League One but the gulf between the sides was tangible here. Southampton scored four but such was the vigour of their play, encapsulated best in the performance of Rickie Lambert, that they could have had plenty more. Indeed, it said everything that Carlisle's best performer was their goalkeeper Adam Collin.

The 25-year-old made many eye-catching saves and could only look on as defensive errors helped Southampton build a 3-0 lead. That, however, should not detract from the conviction the Saints showed in securing their first significant honour for nearly 34 years.

"We had a game-plan and the players followed it brilliantly," said the manager, Alan Pardew. "We didn't allow Carlisle to breath and continuously caused them problems. I'm so pleased that this group of players have won something. What they've achieved today can never be taken away from them."

The objective now is to make the play-offs. Southampton are 12 points away from Colchester in sixth but having climbed to 10th after starting the campaign with a 10-point deduction for going into administration, there is no shortage of belief at St Mary's, with much of it stemming from the club's owner, Markus Liebherr, and the chief executive, Nicola Cortese.

"They are driven people who want success tomorrow," added Pardew. "That puts pressure on me but we've spoken about getting this side out of this division in the next two years and I feel we can achieve that. In the short term I wanted a Wembley visit and I've at least done that now."

Liebherr and Cortese will undoubtedly have enjoyed their trip to north London. Southampton were in control the moment Lambert gave them the lead with a 15th minute penalty, which came about after the Carlisle centre-back Peter Murphy raised his hand inside the area to block Michail Antonio's right-wing cross.

Lambert, who has now scored 32 goals this season, then assisted Southampton's second, flicking on Antonio's throw towards Adam Lallana who, completely unmarked, was able to easily head past Collin moments before half-time.

Victory was all but sealed five minutes after the interval when Papa Waigo struck the ball into an empty net following an excellent reaction stop from Collin that came about after Evan Horwood had made such a poor attempt of clearing Lambert's cross. The fourth goal arrived 10 minutes later after Antonio, a lively presence on Southampton's right-wing, thrashed a low drive past Collin from outside the area.

Carlisle did get a consolation just before the end when Gary Madine headed in from close-range but, overall, theirs was a passive attacking display with the loan-striker Scott Dobie generally bereft of support.

The contrast with Southampton is stark. They look a side reborn and reinvigorated by the challenged ahead.

Man of the match Rickie Lambert (Southampton)