Boss Sean Regan feels it has been a good season for his Clayborners and suggests that in other campaigns they would have been better placed in the table.

Sedge, under Regan – in his first role as a manager at this level after being first-team coach and then assistant manager at Thackley – are eighth in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.

Regan said: “That is our first objective, to secure a place in the top eight, because that means we qualify for next season’s President’s Cup. But we might need a record number of points for that this time around.

“It has been an exceptional season when you look at it.

“Thackley have had an amazing season and they are still trailing 18 points behind the league leaders. In a normal season Thackley would have been up there pushing for the championship, averaging two points per game.

“We have done alright though, considering we had a whole new squad in from the start of the season.

“It is always going to be hard for us keeping up with the other clubs because of finances.

“But we have done well and come a long way so I think we have raised a lot of eyebrows really.

“Other clubs have been surprised by our progress and not just teams in our league, because we have been raided by UniBond clubs wanting some of our players.

“We lost Paul Walker to one of them and he would definitely have been the top scorer in this division if he had stayed with us. But the others have come forward to fill his big shoes.

“Ben Hardy, Andy Philp and Jamie Wasley have all chipped in with goals.

“Wacker (Walker) was at the Hallam game last midweek when we won 7-1 and I think even he was surprised.”