Miramar Rangers football coach Graham Little is praising the efforts of leading goalscorer Jeremy Brockie and defensive linchpin Craig Alderdice after sealing the men's Central League title with two games in hand.
A 6-3 win against Lower Hutt City last Wednesday and a 3-0 win against Stop Out at the weekend were enough for Miramar to secure their second title in three years, reclaiming the trophy from Porirua club Western Suburbs.
Miramar's tally of 39 points is two ahead of Petone, who finished with the runners-up tag, a superb effort in their first season after winning promotion from the second-tier capital premier league.
Lower Hutt City and Napier City Rovers both finished on 33 points with Lower Hutt claiming third by way of a superior goal difference.
Though Little emphasised that it took a huge effort from the whole squad, he praised Brockie, whose attitude had impressed him greatly, and said defender Alderdice was the cornerstone of their title-winning efforts.
Brockie's Olympic duties, where he was New Zealand's standout player in Beijing, prevented him from playing the entire season.
However, he still finished as the club's top goalscorer with 13, behind only Napier City Rovers marksman Stu Wilson (22) and Lower Hutt City's Pedro Garcias (20).
Little, who retired from playing earlier this year, was all smiles after securing the title but he admitted it had, at times, been a very tough season.
"The hardest thing for me was having to tell players [he had] just finished playing with what to do," he said.
"It was a bit easier with the younger ones, though, and we had a really good group. It's been a great season."
For Little it was a dream start to his coaching career, though with another baby on the way he wasn't able to commit to next season.
Miramar will be presented with the trophy at Centennial Park after their last home match of the season, this Saturday against Wellington Olympic.
As Central League winners, they will also play a match against the United Soccer One league champions, East Coast Bays, which has all but been confirmed for September 27 at Memorial Park in Petone.