AFTER fearing relegation for most of the previous season, Liversedge grasped the nettle, came out with all guns blazing and threatened to ‘do a Leicester’ as they topped the division in the early stages.

Achieving what Claudio Ranieri had at the King Power – by turning a side that escaped the drop by the skin of their teeth into title winners – ultimately proved a little too much for Jonathan Rimmington but the Sedge boss gave it his best shot.

As it turned out 13 was the unlucky number for the club.

With 13 league matches of a 42-game season gone, Rimmington’s men were top of the tree but they were never to reach that dizzy height again.

The season had started with an exit from the FA Cup as Sedge went down 5-2 at home to Guisborough Town in the extra-preliminary round.

They then lost their opening league game 3-2 at AFC Mansfield, but their next league reverse was a long time coming.

Rimmo’s men were unbeaten in their next dozen league games, dropping just two points from a possible 36.

Those two points only just got away as Vaughan Redford hit a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw at Handsworth Parramore.

Their progress in the knockout competitions wasn’t going as well during the exceptional run in the league.

Sedge suffered defeats in the FA Vase (3-0 at Newcastle Benfield) and 3-2 in the West Riding County Cup (at eventual winners Farsley Celtic).

A run of three league losses on the bounce blighted early October, and the last chance of silverware disappeared with a 4-2 home defeat in the third round of the League Cup in the penultimate game of that month.

Sedge rallied at the turn of the year but February brought disappointment and frustration.

From five scheduled fixtures, the return was zero as Rimmington’s men lost three away games and had two home matches postponed.

March also saw a poor return, with just three draws, a defeat at Albion Sports and two more home postponements.

The final month of the campaign began with a 4-2 home defeat to eventual title winners Cleethorpes Town but it ended with back-to-back wins as Sedge signed off with two victories in front of their own supporters at Clayborn to end just inside the top half of the table.

FINAL LEAGUE POSTION

NCE Premier Div 11th P42 W17 D8 L17 F99 A73 GD 26 Pts59