Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley says the Hoops are "happy to get it done" as they finally secured the SSE Airtricity League title.
Needing just a point to clinch their fifth Premier Division crown in six seasons, Rovers had lost three in a row, but Dylan Watts scored the only goal of the game in a narrow victory over Galway United on Wednesday night at Tallaght Stadium.
With no team able to keep pace, and Rovers enjoying a vastly superior goal difference, it was likely always just a matter of time, and the champions' coach admitted his players had lost some edge coming down the final stretch.
"Just happy to get it done," Bradley told RTÉ Sport. "We’ve known in the dressing room for some time it’s been done and that’s the little edge that’s come off.
"You could feel it a little bit.
"I think the annoyance then came when we lost the three, you could feel it in Derry [on Sunday], players were annoyed, we were all annoyed about it.
"Tonight, it was important just to get it done.
"Some weeks back we felt it was more or less done and we lost that little bit of edge so it’s just nice to get it done and get it out of the way."
It’s Rovers’ 22nd title in total and Bradley’s fifth with the club.
They had won four in a row before Shelbourne claimed the prize last year, with a late goal against Derry wrapping up the league for the Tolka Park outfit.
Bradley hailed his side’s reaction to losing their title.
"It shows incredible character from the group to lose like we lost last year and come back and win it convincingly this year," he said.
"I know the last few weeks we’ve been slightly off it, but up until that point the players have been different class, so this one is right up there.
"When you are in that rhythm of winning you roll, and then when you lose it can really knock you.
"We’ve seen teams win one [title] and fall away, win two and fall away, to go four, lose it within five minutes and come back the next year and go and do what they’ve done is pretty special.
"It has to be right up there.
"It takes talent to win, it takes character to keep winning and these players have shown that."
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