Manny Faria, the president of Tuff Dogs Sports Club, praised his team’s commitment and dedication after they were crowned the Corona League champions

Dogs, who claimed their third title in five years, finished the season undefeated with a 3-0 victory over Lock N Key at Goose Gosling Field at the weekend.

They accumulated 42 points from 16 matches, 11 more than dethroned champions Robin Hood, who came second, and 12 ahead of West End United, who finished third.

“This was a rewarding title for us,” Faria said. “To go the entire season undefeated was quite an achievement considering the many setbacks that we suffered.

“We lost our coach, Colin Zuill, four games into the season and suffered many injuries as well. There were a number of occasions when we only had 12 or 13 players to pick from. Our players dug deep and played in unfamiliar positions when they had to.

“We challenged the team to not only win the league but also finish the season undefeated, and they did just that.

“We won the inaugural title in 2010 and in 2012 we claimed the double, but this title is certainly just as gratifying as those other two titles.”

Dogs showed plenty of resilience throughout the season and were pressured early on by Hood and North Village, who both looked capable of mounting a title challenge.

They held a four-point advantage heading into the second half of the season and pulled away from the chasing pack during the business end of the campaign.

Dogs also boasted the most potent attack, scoring 63 goals in 16 matches and had the stingiest defence, conceding just 19 goals.

“We knew we had to be at our best if we wanted to challenge for the title,” Faria added. “Robin Hood are a strong team and extremely well organised and coached, while North Village picked up a host of new faces fresh out of the Premier Division.

“And despite losing a host of key players, West End United were the surprise package this season.

“To finish the season undefeated is a huge testament to the work and commitment put forward by our players.

“We were the only team to concede less than 20 goals and score more than 60 this season.”