Roeside Ladies team confirmed as champs

The victory didn't just mark success on the pitch but also the hard work and commitment, the players and coaching staff put into the whole league campaign.

Their season got off to a mixed start with a draw, win and defeat in their opening three fixtures. Having only been promoted into the division, it took these three games to figure out what was required to compete at this level and after that initial blip the team found their footing, only losing once more as the season progressed and enjoying a seven match winning streak in the process.

If goals win matches then Limavady took that advice very seriously, knocking up a staggering 70 goals in 14 matches, 16 more than their closest rival. The majority of these goals came from their team's deadly duo upfront, Louise McAllister with 29 and Rebekah McMullan with 23. This feat made McAllister Division One's joint top goal scorer and the pair of them the most prolific strike partnership across the six divisions. It was a hard fought campaign for Limavady which actually started in pre-season as far back February. The hard work the whole team put in on those cold winter nights paid off as it came down to a battle of fitness in the final few fixtures. They beat their closest rivals for the title, Downpatrick Ladies, both home and away in what were very close and heated contests. Whilst they picked up comfortable away results it was at home where they were unbeatable, picking up a maximum 21 points. As the season drew on it emerged that it would be between Limavady, Downpatrick and Banbridge to see who would pick up the title. Although the outcome was in Limavady's hands, this was because their final two fixtures would involve the other two contenders. They saw off league favourites Downpatrick, 3-2, with 3 goals in the last 15 minutes after trailing 2-0 before the more straightforward victory two days later against Banbridge. In the end Limavady won the league by one point playing good passing football and the ability to dig in and grind out the important results.

Away from the league, Limavady entered two cup competitions this year. In the first of these, the Irish Cup, they lost in the first round to Lisburn Ladies in a penalty shoot out and in the Divisional Cup they got as far as the semi-finals before bowing out to Downpatrick Ladies.

It's been a fantastic season for Limavady Ladies who give their thanks to the backroom staff, who have looked after the teams affairs off the pitch, the coaches, in particular Feargheall Mullan, for their commitment and effort to the team's training regime, the match ball sponsors, Limavady United Football Club for use of the Show Grounds. And a special thank you to the bus drivers of Roe Valley Rural Community Transport, whose dedication to making sure that the team arrived on time to each away fixture is greatly appreciated.

There's no doubt that the team's success owes a great debt to the coaching staff of Feargheall Mullan, Steven Gilchrist and Paul Dixon who took over in 2009 and got the team into pre-season training early focussing on football and fitness. Next season will be no different and Limavady Ladies are looking for new players of all abilities to join the team for their pre-season training which will be getting under way in the coming months. They are also keen to bring new sponsors onboard to help with the growth of the club. It is sure to be a tough but enjoyable season in the country's second tier of women's football. The Championship beckons.!