Scoring a try in each half, Irish Canadians secured their 10th Ontario League championship over a scrappy Markham side by 20-10 on Saturday.

The win gives the Irish the league crown with 55 points from 11 wins against 3 losses, and seeds them first for the McCormick Cup.

Markham began the game with a multi phase attack that netted them a try after five minutes, 5-0.

The Irish countered after 10 minutes when a scrum went to Ed Gardner at 10, then Jason Verstraten at 13, who raced 65 meters to score under the sticks.

A Gardner penalty on halftime after sustained pressure gave the Irish a 10-5 halftime lead.

Gardner extended the lead to 13-5 with an early second half penalty, then Andrew Yearwood touched down after more green pressure to extend the lead to 20-5. Markham, who defended like demons all day, scored after a long penalty aided siege to narrow the margin to 20-10 in injury time, but the game ended with the Irish again on the Markham line.

"The Irish had more than enough pressure to win, but were a bit panicky near the line" observed former Irish coach Martin Fairn, here on a visit.

"The league is a tough thing to win, and I am delighted for the guys that they won it," said Irish coach Mark Winokur. "We slog it out from May to October to determine the first place team, and though the Cup traditionally gets more coverage, the league is plenty meaningful-or why do it?" asked Winokur.

The development side ran riot in a 64-10 rout that included a try from the aforementioned Fairn, (and three more from wing Leonard Jean Pierre) while Markham defaulted the thirds game to the Irish.

The Cup starts next week with the Irish traveling to Ottawa to face the Beavers; the Development sides' opponents have yet to be determined.