LIVERSEDGE are out of the FA Vase after a 4-2 defeat at Ashton Athletic in a re-arranged first round tie, but boss Jonathan Rimmington was pleased that they got a second bite at the cherry.

The match had to be played again after last Saturday’s original tie was interrupted by Storm Brian.

Sedge were losing 3-0 when the referee called a halt 70 minutes in due to a worsening pitch.

The confusion over the rescheduled tie also caused consternation in the Sedge camp as it was announced as a Tuesday game and ended up being on the Thursday. That left Rimmington, and the club’s officials, feeling frustrated.

Rimmington said: “Saturday was bad enough and not just because of the horrendous weather conditions.

“I had no keeper after our regular first choice called me on Thursday night to tell me he wouldn’t be available. I rang round and managed to get a young lad from Bradford Park Avenue’s under-19 side on loan and registered in time to play.

“It was in at the deep end for the lad and to be fair, even though 3-0 down after 70 minutes looks bad, he did very well. Some of our other players didn’t get to Ashton’s ground until 2:15pm because of the wind and rain causing traffic problems.

“It was a nightmare to be honest and when the teams got out on the pitch they couldn’t hear each other. Their players as well as ours, and I couldn’t make them hear me.

“They started much better than we did, surprise surprise, and went 2-0 up. We were poor in the first half but at the start of the second half we battered them. We hit the post but not long after our centre back played a ball across the area and it just stuck in a puddle and their striker chipped it into our net.

“That’s when the ref called me and their manager together. He didn’t abandon it then but he said if it doesn’t get any better he’d have to.

"Sure enough the next time a ball just came to a standstill he blew up and pointed to the dressing rooms.

“It was the right decision, there couldn’t be any argument.”