SILSDEN claimed a top-ten finish despite a defeat on the final day of the campaign and it was the least they deserved from a difficult season.

A solid mid-table finish from a period of consolidation was just what they needed and it helped the transition pass seamlessly.

Silsden began the campaign under Andy Geary but it concluded with Ryan Haigh and Danny Bolton as joint managers.

Haigh had been in temporary charge with his assistant Chris Price, who was the Cobbydalers’ reserve team boss, for a few games when Geary and his wife had a short break in the Caribbean around the turn of the year.

Geary moved into a more general role with the club at the beginning of March and Price took over the reigns then, bringing Bolton in to work alongside him soon after.

It was a bright start to the campaign, with two wins and a draw from their first four league games, but the fifth game of the season saw their FA Cup hopes ended. They suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Northern League outfit Consett in the extra preliminary round.

A five-game unbeaten run in the league followed that, with the Cobbydalers taking 13 points from a possible 15, and then they gained a little revenge on the Northern League. Silsden beat Brandon United 4-0 in the first qualifying-round of the FA Vase and five games later spanked long-term rivals Barnoldswick Town 5-0 in the West Riding County Cup.

Victories in the next rounds of both competitions also provided highlights to their season as Silsden beat Garforth Town in the Vase and hammered Brighouse Town 6-2 to progress in the County Cup.

Garforth got their revenge as they knocked the Cobbydalers out of the County Cup in December, weeks after neighbours Colne had dumped Silsden out of the North West Counties League Cup.

Despite the wet winter, Silsden didn’t suffer from many postponements but from the turn of the year inconsistency crept in. The small, young squad was stretched and results reflected that.

The club had banked enough points in the first half of the campaign to be comfortable and they showed enough steel and determination in the second half to maintain a high level of expectancy for the coming season as the fledgling squad gained valuable experience.