CHAMPIONS Heywood Irish Centre completed a highly successful Huddersfield Sunday League season with a final-day 3-2 win over Marsh Liberal Club.

Under coaches Paul Quinn and John O’Connor the first team have played a bumper total of 38 games due to their successful runs in cup competitions.

For the Irish it is the most games the club have ever played in one season, with their closing record won 34 drawn two and lost two.

They remained unbeaten in Huddersfield with their two defeats coming against Scots Grey in the quarter-finals of the FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup – the Nottingham side went on to win the competition against Liverpool’s Oyster Martyrs at Anfield – and then against HT Sports in the final of the West Riding Sunday Cup at Woodlesford.

Their efforts in the national competition brought them a team of the round prize after they saw off Liverpool’s Western Approaches at the second hurdle.

Another Liverpool side, Home & Bargain, Sunderland RCA Barnes and Telford’s Bulls Head were their other scalps.

The first team completed the club’s first ever treble, lifting the Sunday League title, Sunday Challenge Cup and Rollinson Cup.

Although the second team had another difficult campaign John O’Connor has instilled some stability and they have supported the first team throughout the campaign.

The Sunday League season has also seen the emergence of Lindley WMC as a force.

Despite being beaten in two finals by the Irish Centre, they clinched the Division II title in their final game of the season and they were also Inter-divisional winners.

Another team of newcomers to impress were Golcar Con, runners-up in Division II by just one point.