RATHER than soaring high, the Eagles failed to get off the ground, with the biggest disappointment of Eccleshill United's campaign being that they did not finish high enough on the pyramid to qualify for next season's FA Cup.

Eccleshill lost exactly half their Northern Counties East League games and failed to make progress in any of the cups.

That was in stark contrast to the previous season, when they lifted the West Riding County Cup at Valley Parade under Lee Duxbury.

The former Bantams skipper led Eccleshill to fourth place in NCE Division One and there was a second appearance at Bradford City's ground in the League Cup final.

However, that occasion ended with penalty shoot-out heartbreak against Knaresborough Town.

Duxbury was on crutches that day following a hip operation – a legacy of his long playing career – and it was his last game in charge of the Eagles.

His paymasters, Richmond International Academic and Soccer Academy (RIASA), decided not to renew his contract.

Eccleshill began the new campaign under Mark Tinker and assistant Martin Devaney but the pair resigned late in November, with the club having slipped to eighth place.

Former Bantams player Mark Ellis, head of RIASA, took caretaker charge until the club turned to the young but highly-qualified Gerard Jones.

Performances improved but not the results as Jones settled into his first managerial role.

A season that began with a 6-0 home drubbing by Louth Town, soon to be followed by exits at the first hurdle of the FA Cup and FA Vase, had few highlights.

There were eight straight league wins under Tinker and Devaney before a long run that was mediocre at best.

Eccleshill lost their grip on the West Riding County Cup with a 5-2 home defeat to Farsley in the second round – after getting a bye in the first.

Jones began with five defeats before picking up a point in his sixth game.

That sparked a three-match unbeaten run and, towards the end of the season, he engineered a six-game undefeated run at home – including five victories.

But overall it was a poor campaign and Jones moved on after the final game.

NCE Division One – 13th

P W D L F A GD Pt

42 16 5 21 76 67 9 53