'Everyone should feel part of this' -  Wolfhounds manager Declan Toner

The dream has come earlier than expected for Declan Toner and everyone at Limavady Wolfhounds, but they not complaining after securing a return to senior football for the first time since 1993.

The Wolfhounds defeated Greenlough 1-19 to 0-9 on Sunday to secure a first Division 2 title since 1989 and with it a return to the top level for the first time in a generation.

It is a remarkable and unexpected title win with Limavady so close to falling back down to Junior football just 12 months ago, avoiding relegation to Division 3 on the head-to-head rule. But they have been a different prospect altogether in 2025.

"This was a massive achievement for the club and the players first and foremost who have put in massive sacrifices over the last three years since I've taken charge, and maybe before," Toner explained. "This year they really, really turned a corner; they have been very committed all year and played some wonderful football. We got the rub of the green at times as well, but for them, it's massive and also, for everyone else around the club.

"This isn't just about this year. Hard work has gone on behind the scenes at underage. Everybody should feel a part of this; it's a big day for the parish and a big day for the club and we're back in Division one for the first time for over 30 years, so it's just brilliant for everybody."

Toner admits that the disappointment of last year's campaign led to a lot of reflection over the winter.

"Last year we had a very poor league campaign and we had a few injuries which cost us badly," he said. "Last year we were also losing tight games, but this year we won those games and that just shows you how small margins make a big difference. In the Championship last year, our results weren't very good but our performances were and we were actually running teams very, very close.

"That gave us the belief that we could kick on, but we just needed to tighten up in a few areas with regard to commitment, and we also had to make sure that we were injury free, which we were. We had a good bit of reflection over the winter, and to be fair, the boys did a lot of talking and they backed it up through the year, which is fantastic. We knew ourselves that we underachieved badly last year and we were a better team than that. It was probably what we needed to spur us on. It gave us a kick up the backside."

"To lose every game was soul-destroying, especially when you saw that the boys wanted to win so badly. This year it was about winning games and building momentum, and it wasn't really until last week when we beat Coleraine that we knew we had a chance to win the game, that's when we actually thought about it. It was just about winning the next game and we never really looked beyond that. The last week was probably a bit nervy because we knew what was at stake and the boys to be fair performed very well under pressure."

Toner remembers all too well the strain of the closing moments of last season, so he definitely appreciates how far the club has now come in such a short time.

"I remember last year being on my phone and seeing how Glenullin and Lissan were going and hoping the result would go our way to make sure we stayed in Intermediate football, and we could do nothing about it," he admitted. "But this year we were in control of our destiny, and the second half performance was as good as any performance this year and that was nice for that to happen, especially when the pressure was on."

IN PICTURES: Limavady Wolfhounds crowned Division Two champions with victory over Greenlough

"Over the last 10 years the mindset has all been about development. I came in as manager three years ago with one goal - to maintain intermediate status, because we have been a yo-yo club between Junior and Intermediate, and we think we achieved that. This year we asked ourselves could we kick on and we have achieved our dream of senior football perhaps a wee bit earlier than we thought, but we'll take it."