"Marist were our toughest [opponents]. We're disappointed we didn't beat them but the next time we meet in the Knockout Cup we'll do it," Coldicutt said as the orange and blacks kept their hopes alive for a double with a bye this Sunday to the cup semifinals.
Central Football Eastern operations manager Phil Holt said yesterday the competition started with 11 teams playing against each other in the first round before they were divided into two divisions midway through the winter.
Five teams went into division one - Port Hill, Marist, Taradale, Havelock North Gold and their second Blue team - and the remainder dropped to division two.
In the first round, Marist and Taradale set the pace with 27 points each at the top of the table with a loss each from 10 games but the latter had a superior goal difference (60 to 48).
The Greg Fowler and Annmarie "Spike" Lawlor-coached Port Hill were third on 22 points with seven wins, a draw and a loss from nine games.
However, Port Hill cranked up their work rate in division one with six wins, a draw and a loss from eight matches.
Marist had two defeats and a draw and their goal difference was three shy of Port Hill's 14.
On the proviso of not how you start but how you finish a season, Coldicutt emphasised the historic campaign was built on the platform of a three-year development programme the club had invested in.
"We all worked hard and deserved to win," said the 24-year-old registered nurse at the Hawke's Bay Regional Hospital in Hastings.
Port Hill are predominantly players from the age of 16 to 25, bar veteran Lawlor who is 40-something.
Striker Lawlor, striker/defender Larissa Hamlin, and centre-mids Coldicutt and Caitlin Bloxham form the spine of Port Hill.
Coldicutt lauded her goalkeeper, Bridie "Birdie" Barry, who "made some amazing saves and definitely kept us in the game".
Defenders Hamlin, Felicity Robottom, Katherine Matthews, Nikki-Lee Anderson, Kerri Robson, Alena Jellyman and Chelsea Carson also dug deep.
"Four years ago we were in division two and now we're champions of division one," said Coldicutt of a club whose players from two divisions do their fitness workout together on Wednesday nights before splitting into football drills in their respective squads.
"A few years ago Port Hill couldn't win a game and now everyone's chasing us," she said.
Fowler and Lawlor had impressed on their squad to play for 90 minutes every week in the past four years.
"We were third for two years in a row, second equal last year and won it this year."
She stressed it was equally imperative the club had established a pathway for their women to hone their skills in the development programme before aspiring to foot it in the higher echelons.
The Scott Burns-coached division two team are a win away from clinching title bragging rights as well.
They play Taradale this Sunday.
The club has previously a division-two women's title.
"The coaches and club are so proud of us," the captain said, saluting her troops for keeping the faith.
