The never-ending Irish League season, as it was dubbed by one manager, finally came to an end on Thursday night as Dungannon Swifts won their promotion/relegation play-off against Annagh United.
Little did the Swifts think when they kicked the season off on August 13th it would be some 10 months later before they would have their Premiership survival secured.
Thursday night's game at Stangmore Park was the 70th game of the season I had covered, here I look back at some of the standout matches and performers from the past season in our alternative take on the end of season awards.
Read next: Former Real Madrid and Liverpool man answers the call to aid Dungannon Swifts' survival bid
Best Game - Crusaders 2 Cliftonville 2
Seaview, Monday 13 March 2023
This north Belfast derby was a thrilling watch as Crusaders and Cliftonville served up a great spectacle in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
It has everything from great goals, missed chances and meaty challenges as both sides went at it hammer and tongs in a bid to preserve their title hopes.
In the end a draw was probably a fair result even though it meant any slim hopes the sides had of lifting the Gibson Cup had evaporated.
Best Player Performance Seen Live - Conor McMenamin
Glentoran 4 Larne 0, Friday 28 October 2022
The was a clash between the top two in the league at the time with Glentoran leapfrogging their rivals at the summit following a dominant display at The Oval.
Conor McMenamin was in full flow at this stage of the season and he produced a typically impressive display to help blow Larne away.
He was a constant threat all night netting a brace and assisting Jay Donnelly and Danny Purkis for their goals.
Most Consistent Performer - Philip Lowry
The Crusaders midfielder had a season to remember as he bagged a remarkable 21 goals and helped his side win the Irish Cup and secure European football.
Any time I had the pleasure to watch Lowry he impressed and always seemed to pop up with a goal.
A total team player he never got carried away by his own performance, and was only concerned about what the Crues could achieve.
He summed up it with a real leader's performance in the Irish Cup final as he took the captain's armband in the absence of Billy Joe Burns, and of course he bagged himself a goal along the way!
Best Goal - Andy Ryan
Larne 1 Linfield 1, Friday 21 April 2023
On a night of celebration at Inver Park as Larne were officially crowned Irish Premiership champions Andy Ryan produced a moment of magic fit to win any game.
The Scottish striker made a big impression at Inver Park following his January move to the club and was instrumental in them securing the Gibson Cup.
Ryan showed all his quality as he exchanged passes with Joe Thomson before curling a sublime effort into the far corner giving Chris Johns no chance.
Special mention to Stevie Fallon who netted a cracker at the other end on the same night.
Best Save - Chris Johns
Larne 0 Linfield 0, Tuesday 7 March 2023
In another meeting between the league's top two teams there was a moment which had the whole ground out of their seats.
With the game on a knife edge going into injury time between the two title contenders it looked as though Larne were going to grab a crucial three points as Thomas Maguire fired a thunderous shot from outside the box, which looked destined for the top corner.
Somehow, much to the disbelief of everyone in Inver Park Chris Johns got across his goal line to tip the ball over the bar at full stretch and earn his side a point.
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