FOR Derby Trailblazers, victory in Sunday's National Trophy final at Leicester would be another big step forward for the club. For two of their veteran players, it could be another step towards hanging up their boots.

Trailblazers take on Bristol Academy Flyers in the final at the Braunstone Leisure Centre (2.45pm) for the chance to taste glory in a senior knockout competition for the first time.

For all their success in the league – Derby won Division One in 2009-10 – three losing semi-finals in the last two seasons is as close as they have come to lifting one of the cups. Sunday brings the chance to put that behind them and 6ft 8ins forward Dave Attewell says the time is right.

"We won the league but we've been dumped out of a lot of semi-finals over the years, so it's very gratifying to win and put ourselves into the Trophy final," he said.

"We did have the play-off final a few years ago but that was a bit disappointing.

"I feel like this team have worked extremely hard this year and I would be disappointed if we didn't come away with silverware and we still have a legitimate shot at taking three pieces.

"We have played well this season and the losses we have had have been very small in terms of points. We've always been in with a chance in every game we've played and come up short on a couple of occasions but just short.

"As the season's gone on, we've become a lot wiser and put together a nice string of results just recently. Even at times when we've played not so well, we've ground out the wins.

"We want Bristol. We want them badly for the very simple reason that they were the last team to beat us. However many we've won since, the last time we played them we lost, so we are coming out gunning for them.

"There has been a tremendous history between the two teams back to the Division Two days and since we've been in Division One, we beat them to the title on the final game two years ago when they were in with a shout.

"That hurt them badly but they dumped us out of the play-offs last year and we've had some other tough losses to them.

"It's always been a bit nip and tuck, so it's always special to beat them. It's always nice to win a final but against someone you have a bit of history against, it adds a little more flavour."

Attewell, capped three times by England, has finals experience in his BBL days but not with Derby. He was a Storm player for three years from 1996 and returned to the city in 2007, when he and Stedroy Baker were both signed to add their experience to Trailblazers' first Division One campaign.

The two have been invaluable in the club's development since but 38-year-old Attewell says he and point guard Baker, now 42, are happy to take a back seat now.

"It's a reduced role to the one we've had in the past but it's still good to be a part of the team and, in some ways, it's even nicer," added Attewell.

"It's great to see some of the young guys come through. I used to coach Rema Lascelles when he was on my school team and, in my BBL days here, he used to come to practise with his dad, Tim, when he was no taller than my kneecaps.

"I've seen Rema develop and he's going to be a tremendous player, so to win with these guys and see the new ranks coming through is what Steddy and I have been on about for years.

"We want to sit in the stands and watch. We're going to have to give up sooner or later and we've been waiting for fresh blood to come through so we can sit back and see the club continue to have winning ways.

"We're at that point now, which is just as well because our legs are giving way."

Attewell also praised the parts played by Trailblazers' two big signings this season. Rishi Kakad, the British-born guard who is averaging 24 points, and American centre Troy Whittington, averaging 18.5 points and a shade under 10 rebounds, have revitalised a team that struggled last year.

"They've made a massive impact and the two of them have fitted in well with the lads, not only in terms of the way we play but socially as well and that's very important.

"It's a long, hard season and if you don't get on with each other, you start to fall apart at the seams. They are leaders, in some respects, on the team but they're quite happy to sit back off the court and have a laugh – have a bit of mickey taken out of them as well as giving it back."

Whatever happens on Sunday, Attewell says league success is still the top priority and he believes Trailblazers will not allow success or failure in the Trophy final to distract them from that.

"This is good team and a calm team as well," he added. "We've been on a tremendous winning streak but two weeks ago, when we went first in the league, nobody batted an eyelid.

"A lot of teams would get over-excited at that but that's when the backsides start tightening up a bit and you start to lose. Our attitude is there's still a long way to go, you still have to keep winning and there are a lot more teams still in the hunt.

"You've got to play 40 minutes every game and you've got to do that for the whole season if you're going to win the title."