The Verri Industries Douglas United Dragons are the talk of the town after their 3-2 win over Leichhardt in Saturday night's Far North Queensland Premier League Grand Final.

Played in front of a vocal Endeavour Park crowd filled with Douglas fans it was one of the most intense games of the season, worthy of any final. The Dragons did not disappoint the travelling hordes either, although as has been the case for much of the year, they left it late to make things safe.

The Dragons were quick out of the blocks, passing the ball with pace and precision in a withering early onslaught that had Leichhardt shell-shocked. Some of the football was nothing short of outstanding with one move in particular making a mockery of previous comments calling Douglas a long ball team.

Had captain Nick Tither managed to direct his header goalwards it surely would have gone down as the goal of the season.

However, the Dragons were unable to find the back of the net and with time ticking away in the first half Leichhardt managed to muster a response to the Dragons' near total dominance.

The Dragons did not deal with the second ball from a long kick and when the Leichardt right winger was found in space he made no mistake to give Leichhardt a half time lead completely against the run of play. It could have been worse too for the Dragons as moments later the Leichhardt skipper saw his shot clip the outside of the post.

A second goal before half time may well have knocked the stuffing out of the Dragons, but going into the break only one goal down and having dominated proceedings there was an air of calm in the changing rooms.

Knowing that if they kept playing the way they had in the first half they would find a way back into the match. And so it proved only five minutes into the second half when Ian Marsh’s spectacular bicycle kick lobbed over the Leichardt keeper and into the back of the net.

Spurred on by this, the Dragons went in search of another goal that would take them once step closer to realising their dream. With time starting to ebb away and bodies starting to feel the pinch of an intense game the Dragons took the lead for the first time. Ian Marsh swung in a right wing corner and captain Nick Tither rose the highest to make it 2-1 to the Dragons.

It would not have been a true Douglas performance, though, without a few twists and turns and Leichhardt provided a grandstand finish when they equalised, again through their right midfielder on 82 minutes.

A lesser team may have crumbled at this and been overrun but not the Dragons. As they have shown on so many occasions this year they are never beaten, and so it proved again on Saturday night.

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Ollie Moffat’s deep cross eluded the Leichardt keeper and found the king of the late goals Nick Houghton at the far post who sent an exquisitely placed header back into the far corner of the goal before once more heading off to the Dragons' supporters to celebrate what surely was the winning goal.

There was still time for a few nervy moments. Leichhardt had the ball in the back of the net only for the referee to adjudge that there was a foul on keeper Gary Fitzgerald and Leichhardt claimed a penalty when Logan Marsh tackled their star striker.

Leichhardt should have been awarded a corner but certainly not the penalty they were shouting for and after a fair few minutes of stoppage time the final whistle blew to crown the Douglas United Dragons, Premiers of Far North Queensland.

The Man of the Match award went to Nick Houghton who was outstanding throughout and contributed the winning goal although everyone who took the pitch put in a monumental performance.

The Dragons will be having their end of season presentation at the Port Douglas Yacht Club on Sunday evening from 6pm. Feel free to come along for some or all of the evening and celebrate with the team as there will be a good number of the lads moving on in the coming weeks.