The latest in the select band of teams that have made the

journey from Division Four to the Premier Division in the Sunday Alliance - Wyke Wanderers - are finding it hard going in the top flight.

Wyke have probably lost more league matches this season than in the club's entire six-season history, but despite their lowly league position they are enjoying their debut season.

Leading scorer Adam Beckwith said: "It's been difficult because we've never been in the habit of losing a lot of games. We felt the step up when Wyke reached the First Division, but we've found it's been an even bigger step up to Premier level."

The striker-winger joined Wanderers for their record-breaking season in Division Three when the young side, in only their second season in open-age football, became the first team to win the four-trophy haul clean sweep of league title, district and league cups and county trophy.

"All the success came in a three-week period when every game - whether it was a league game, semi or final - seemed to be a big game and they came so fast we hadn't time to think of the next game."

Wyke won their third successive league title the following season but had to be content with a runners-up spot in reaching the First Division.

Wyke's big rivals from their early days, Holme Wood Athletic, made it to the Premier first, but Wyke made the move up at the end of last season.

"It was always going to be who finished behind Stanley Road, who were way above any team in the league last season," said Beckwith.

"People were looking at Heaton, who like us had shot up the divisions, and West Bowling, who had missed out by a hair's breadth the previous season.

"The team that clinched second was always going to drop a few points. We held our nerve and got the points in the bag as teams around us slipped up in the run-in."

Originally a Sunday club from seasons past, Wyke Wanderers run junior teams at most levels and with the current club seldom recruiting from other teams, Wyke's junior policy is a useful catchment area for manager Dave Ryan. The two latest youngsters to move up to senior level over the last couple of seasons are striker John Pullan and midfielder Ian Bell.

With around half of the original side still at the club, Wyke are a comparatively young side with a lot of the players in their early 20s.

Three or four season ago Wyke amalgamated with the remnants of the old Brown Cow side and 'old heads' Paul Garside and Richard Barker - who has played more in the reserve side this season - helped pull the club through several promotions.

With injuries and unavailabilities helping to interrupt their Premier debut, relegation fears, which threatened a while ago, don't seem apparent at this stage. And with Stanley Road dropping out at the start of the season, only one team will be going down.

With Calverley Victoria having only four games left and still to gain a win, it looks pretty certain Wyke's top division future for next season is assured.

Beckwith added: "We don't really want to leave it to other teams. We would rather secure our future ourselves.

"I can't think of more than one game where we have been heavily beaten, and if you look at the points dropped - some of them are down to silly mistakes. We were bitterly disappointed two weeks ago when we let a lead slip against Crown, who are in the same position. But I would say last Sunday's 4-0 win over Oakenshaw was our best result in the Premier."

Beckwith's two goals against Oakenshaw took his goal tally into double figures, and although Wyke have no cup interest left, if they can build on last Sunday's result an end-of-season run could result in a top half finish.

It is a position which Wanderers would be well satisfied with in their first season of Premier Division football.