CHRIS LAIRD has hailed the “absolutely magnificent” achievement of his players after Kelty Hearts’ Ladies clinched title glory.

In their maiden season as a Scottish Women’s Football League (SWFL) club after their formation before Christmas last year, they have stormed to a league and cup double.

After clinching their first trophy in the shape of the SWFL Division Two Cup final against Spartans Academy in June, Kelty’s 7-0 win at the Garry O’Connor Centre took them five points clear at the SWFL Division Two (East) summit ahead of their final match with Dundee City, which took place on Sunday.

They have won 16 of their 17 matches – with their only defeat coming in June at Dundee – and will move up to SWFL Division One North next season.

Their success means that Laird, alongside assistant Bryan Simpson, is a league winner for a second successive season, having coached Bayside Ladies to the flag last year.

He lavished praise on his squad and said: “They’ve been absolutely brilliant.

“It is a tough league and we were on the brink a couple of times where we were losing games, but they showed great determination to pull it back.

“To get the league and cup double is fantastic. We had hoped to get in the top three, and next season be in a better position to try and win the league, but the ladies have been absolutely magnificent.

“They don’t give up. We’ve only been beaten once in the league; that gave us a wee kick up the backside and we managed to sign a couple of players just before the break.

“Everybody put the effort in and I’m absolutely chuffed.”

Laird’s side have been in scintillating goalscoring form, racking up a goal difference of 72 so far, hitting the net seven times or more on seven separate occasions.

Opponents next season look set to include the likes of Dunfermline, Raith Rovers and East Fife and the aim is to keep progressing.

Laird continued: “We always strive to get the ball down and play, and we’ve played some cracking football this season that’s been pleasing on the eye.

“That is what we try to coach but they’ve shown determination in some games; they’ve got a winning mentality, which they showed in a game against Edinburgh Caledonia, where we were 2-0 down but came back to win 4-3.

“Kelty have backed us all the way. We always look to try and progress the team, and the club, but we’ll go down that path after the season is finished.”