LIVERSEDGE take a day off from the Toolstation Northern Counties East League today safe in the knowledge that they sit in a very healthy fifth in the table.

Boss Jonathan Rimmington is delighted with the start, which has only seen one Premier Division loss.

They went down 3-1 at Athersley to three late goals but Rimmington, who was appointed in the summer, feels there were mitigating circumstances.

He said: "We suffered a blow by losing our captain (Tom Jackson) at half-time. He plays centre back and when you're trying to reshuffle and take people out of midfield to get someone in at centre half, its difficult.

"We weren't as good in the second half but did well until we ran out of legs. It was a hot day, there were a lot of thunderstorms around and the atmosphere drained our lads and it showed late on.

"Athersley hadn't had a shot until they equalised late on and then they won it by scoring three times in eight minutes. I was shell-shocked and the lads were gutted after the final whistle."

That was Sedge's second defeat of the season as they had already exited the FA Cup following a 4-0 defeat at Barrow-based Holker Old Boys. A first-half penalty and three second-half strikes for the home side made it a long and subdued journey home.

Rimmington said: "I just walked into the dressing room after that and said to the lads, 'think how you feel now and remember it, you'll never want this feeling again'.

"We didn't know it but we were beaten before we got off the bus. The penalty was a big call but it wasn't the only decision that went against us that day – they all did.

"It wasn't all the fault of the officials, and I thought Holker played to their strengths, but their last goal was from the halfway line.

"I don't know if the lad meant it, let's give him the benefit of the doubt, but it summed up our day."