Caley secured their third title in as many years on Sunday courtesy of a pulsating 1-1 draw with Vittoria at Peffermill. Winger Nick Byrne netted the crucial goal just ten minutes into the match before a Rory Brown own goal gave Vittoria a lifeline at the start of the second half.

Caley went into this final game of the season having drawn their last two matches and in some of their worst form of the season, while Vittoria had won their previous two outings 3-2 to keep their title hopes alive. It was the home side who burst out of the traps however, Caley threatening early on when Nick Byrne burst down the left and delivered a ball that Caley top scorer headed wide. Another Caley attack minutes later would see the home side take the lead. Jones flicked onto Ryan Stevenson, whose deft header evaded the Vittoria defence. Byrne was on hand to get behind his marker but still had it all to do, the winger preceded to take the ball down and unleash an unstoppable screamer past the Vittoria goalkeeper and into the far side of the net for his eleventh of the season.

An epic battle in midfield saw Caley captain Chris Dolan go head to head with Vittoria playmaker Bismark Ansong, both giants of the Sunday morning game, while Caley’s leading goalscorer Chris Jones matched up against Vittoria man mountain Marc Hunter.

Vittoria’s best chance of the match came when Gordon Allan tried to swerve an effort into the bottom corner after good work on the edge of the box, but Caley stand-in keeper Stewart Ferrier was equal to the task. Caley could have been two goals to the good on the half hour mark when a sweeping Calumn Hunter crossfield ball picked out Stevenson and the young forward swerved past two men before finding his low strike saved by the Vittoria keeper.

Vittoria were soon level just two minutes into the restart. A speculative cross was arrowed into the front post and Caley centre-half Rory Brown managed to head into his own net, blotting his otherwise perfect copybook. Caley would then introduce former Vittoria striker Tommy Ambrozy for Stevenson. The veteran forward should have restored Caley’s lead when through on goal but shot over from 18 yards.

A frenetic last twenty minutes saw changes for both teams, with Dirk Otway and Richy Meechan entering the fray for Calumn Hunter and the injured Rory Brown. Vittoria would throw everything at the home side in late in the game but it was Caley who looked more likely to score. They would have the last best chance of the match with five minutes remaining. Concerted pressure saw Nick Byrne and Chris Jones combine down the left before the ball was flighted into the box for Mickey McConnell arriving late. The midfield playmaker, with a career-best 9 goals to his name this season, could only side-foot the ball wide of the target.

For the home side however, the real target was becoming the first team in the history of LEAFA Sunday Morning football to retain the title, and with the final whistle, three in a row was clinched.

A phenomenal achievement, not without its ups and downs this season. The margins are pretty slim in this league and Vittoria can think themselves unlucky to finish the season without silverware, but Caley have made a habit of winning over the past three years and the league shield is back where it belongs.