‘It’s been a particularly challenging and emotional season for everyone involved.’

Those were the words of Peel AFC captain Matthew Woods who dedicated the club’s latest Canada Life Premier League title triumph to combination team captain Kian Broadhead who sadly lost his life in September.

The westerners’ lifted the top-flight trophy for a record-extending 32nd time in their history following the culmination of Saturday’s clash against Laxey at Douglas Road, which the Miners won 5-3.

Taylor Andrews gave Peel an early lead from the penalty spot, but Laxey turned the game on its head by scoring five without reply.

Ed Kangah led the way for Glen Road side as he helped himself to a hat-trick and was joined on the scoresheet by Brody Patience with a sublime free-kick and a Cameron Avery header.

Goals by substitute Tomas Brown (his 50th first team goal of the season) and Izzy Dunn made the scoreline more respectable for Peel, before the trophy celebrations kicked off in earnest.

Speaking to the Media Isle of Man, Woods admitted it had been a difficult time for everyone at Peel: ‘At the club, we’re all absolutely delighted to have won the league this year.

‘It’s been a particularly challenging and emotional season for everyone involved, especially following the sad passing of our combination captain, Kian Broadhead. That was a hugely difficult time for the whole club and something that affected us all deeply.

‘As the season went on, we used this as motivation to push on and give everything we had. We wanted to win the league for Kian, because we know that’s exactly what he would have wanted from us.

‘The togetherness and determination within the squad really grew after that, and everyone pulled in the same direction.

‘To come through such a sad period and still achieve something special as a team makes this league win even more meaningful for all of us. We didn’t allow that difficult moment to define us negatively, instead we used it to inspire us and drive us on to bigger things.

‘One thing we’re particularly proud of at the club is the strength of our youth set-up. Every season, we see at least one or two young players step up into the first team and combination squads, which creates real competition for places across both sides and keeps standards high throughout the club.

‘A huge amount of hard work goes on behind the scenes, both on and off the pitch, and that’s helped put Peel in a strong position where we’re consistently competing at the top year after year.

‘Just as importantly, it shows how much the club means to the town and the wider community. Peel AFC really is at the heart of Peel and having local players come through the system and represent the club means a great deal to everyone involved.’

Woods was also quick to praise Corinthians who were the westerners’ nearest title challengers this season.

‘Full credit also has to go to Corinthians, who pushed us all the way throughout the season. They’ve got some fantastic players in that squad and they’ve shown great quality and consistency all year.

‘Our success only motivates us even more at Peel. We know how difficult it is to stay at the top, but the ambition within the club is as strong as ever, and we’ll be going into next season determined to compete again and hopefully make it three league titles in a row.’