AFTER waiting to get my hands on the league trophy, it did not stay there for long.

Player-coach Jared Owen whisked the silverware off for the long journey back to his home in Telford - sending us pictures of it with a seatbelt around it in the car, and later one of him asleep with it in bed!

MORE TOP STORIES:

It was another night of celebration for the Hawks, with champagne corks popping and regular renditions of “We are the Champions” and “Championies”.

For me, lifting the trophy was a bit surreal.

It is the first league title I’ve won since I’ve been playing, and to do it with my hometown club made it extra special.

To be captain too is an added bonus.

It’s a moment that will live with me forever.

It’s been a privilege to share it with a group of lads who are not just team-mates but, over the years, have become friends.

The majority of us have been together for quite some time now, which always helps.

New players come in now and again but the core of us have been together for a while and we are a close-knit group.

We have got some of the best players in the league, and the best team spirit.

It’s like winning the league with a bunch of your best mates.

I think the post-match presentation contributed to us taking our eye off the ball - or the puck in our case - because we weren’t at our best.

But we must keep our focus because, with just three games to go, it would be dreadful if we slipped up in our aim to go the whole season unbeaten this close to the end.

We had to work hard for Sunday night’s win over Billingham Stars - our 19th of the season.

We couldn’t really get anything going. Having said that I thought we were probably the best team throughout the game. They never really caused us any problems in the 2-0 win, with Luke Brittle and Jordan Bannon getting on the scoresheet in second and third periods respectively.

Sometimes you just get games like that where you dig in and get the result.

It is two points nevertheless.

The clean sheet is another important factor for us with two tough games against Sheffield and Sutton coming up.

Play-off places are up for grabs for both teams so they will be coming after us and wanting to pick up points.

Finally, congratulations to my team-mate Ric Hughes on the birth of his baby boy, on the same day I became an uncle for the second time.

It’s been an expensive week, but a good one!