NORTH Ferriby manager Billy Heath says winning promotion to the Conference North is the greatest achievement of his career.
Heath, who took over as Ferriby manager in October 2011, has taken the club on an upward curve ever since.
Winning the Evo-Stik Premier League title caps the success he and assistant manager Mark Carroll enjoyed at Bridlington.
The pair will now look forward to the challenge of facing teams like Stockport County next season.
"This is the top of everything I have achieved in the game. It's all about levels. We won some great things at Bridlington Town and we took a football team a long way there, but to take a club like this to its highest level is fantastic." Heath said.
Heath's side were made to fight all the way for their ultimate goal, but knowing a win would guarantee them the league title, they got the job done with a goal in each half from Ryan Kendall and Anthony Wilson to beat Ashton United 2-0.
Hednesford did all they could to snatch the title away from Ferriby as they beat AFC Fylde 2-1, but the Villagers claimed the silverware on goal difference.
"Fair play to Hednesford because they pushed us all the way. I thought they might just have gone away towards the end of the season," Heath said. "They didn't and they pushed us all the way."
Despite the narrow margin of their title win, Heath is in no doubt his squad of players deserved to be crowned champions.
"We deserved to win the title because we were the better team when we played them twice. The scores were the same but we were the better team in those two matches. We pipped them because maybe we wanted it more than they did."
Heath joined his players for the biggest celebrations the club has ever seen and said it was an honour to manage the best side ever assembled at Rapid Solicitors Stadium.
Now he's looking forward to planning for next season already.
"I'm absolutely delighted. It took a lot of hard work and preparation but it's a fantastic feeling," he said.
"Conference North sounds fantastic to me and the rest of the players.
"We'll start planning for next season this week as we did this time last year."
The league title was the second trophy claimed in a possible treble for the Villagers, having already clinched the Doodson Cup.
They face Reckitts in final of the East Riding FA Senior Cup at the KC Stadium tomorrow and Heath is determined to win a hat-trick of titles in his first full season with Ferriby.
• North Ferriby United promotion in pictures
