GREAT Britain can call themselves Davis Cup champions for the first time in 79 years after Andy Murray took care of business with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 victory against World No 16 David Goffin.

The win sees Britain assume an unassailable 3-1 lead in this final in the Flanders Expo Centre in Ghent, with the products of one house in Dunblane responsible for 11 of the 12 points which have taken GB to glory during 2015. It also caps a remarkable upturn in the nation's fortunes. When Glaswegian Leon Smith took over as captain five years ago, Britain were on the verge of relegation to the fourth tier of the competition.

This was the World No 2's 11th point of the year and at times yesterday it seemed very much like Andy Murray against the World. The Scot had to contend with some ill-mannered jeering and shouting from the partisan home crowd as he prepared to serve, an umpire whose remedy for this was to punish him for a time violation for waiting for the din to subside, not to mention an over-eager line judge who at some points seemed determined to cramp his style at the back of the court. Then there was an opponent in Goffin who was on his favourite surface and was fighting tooth and nail to preserve his nation's chance of their maiden Davis Cup win.

Instead, though, it is Britain who take the trophy donated by Harvard student Dwight Davis back to these shores for the first time since 1936 after a resolute Murray refused to be blown off course. He never looked back after a typically unforgiving backhand return to a Goffin second serve gave him a 4-2 first set lead, while the second set was a tense affair until the World No 2 broke the Belgian's resistance in the 11th game, and served out for the set to 30. He stood stock still and pointed at a friendly face in the crowd after clinching the set with a bravura running passing shot into the open court.

The Scot's serve was broken for the first time in the match at the start of the third set, but Murray was not to be denied. He broke back immediately and soon had parity on the scoreboard at 2-2. Serving his way consistently out of trouble, he capitalised on the first of three break points for a 4-3 lead and that was pretty much that. Seventy nine years without this trophy came to an end in spectacular circumstances, with his favourite shot, a perfect backhand lob. The Scot fell to the clay, being piled on by captain Leon Smith and the remainder of the squad, before comiserating with the losing side. He adds the Davis Cup to a personal resume which includes the US Open, Wimbledon and Olympic gold.