NPL Division One East
Jonathan Rimmington considers leaders Liversedge’s perfect start to the season as a remarkable achievement given his side’s lengthy injury and suspension list.
‘Sedge have won eight out of eight and hold a five-point lead over second-placed Ossett United.
With the squad stretched, Liversedge have had to work extremely hard for all those wins and Rimmington credits his players for digging in.
“It has gone better than anyone could have expected,” Rimmington told Non League Yorkshire.
“We knew we had a good squad but we have had a lot of injuries and suspensions.
“It is not as easy as it looks but we have done what we have wanted to do.
“At this level of football you need a 20 man squad because it is quite physical and you get injuries every week.
“The first month has been quite tough despite all the wins.
“Gav Allott was suspended for three games and then he played a few minutes at Stocksbridge and got a red card.
“Joe Walton got sent off in the last minute at Runcorn when we’d already had Stocky (Jack Stockdill) sent off and gets three games.
“John Cyrus won’t play again this season because of his achilles tendon.
“We already had three players out on loan (Joe Kenny, Charlie Marshall and Jack Hardacre), one at Garforth, one at Nostell and one at Emley.
“You start thinking ‘what’s going on here’ (when more injuries and suspensions pile up).
“One minute you have a full squad and then you also have Kurt Harris and Jack Steers injured for the last three weeks.
“You’re having to play people out of position so for us to do what we have done is amazing really.
“The lads have rolled their sleeves up and got on with it.
“At this moment we have done really well but I don’t take anything for granted.”
The jewel in the crown victory was arguably the 2-1 defeat of fancied Marske United in late August – a result that upset the Marske manager’s wife.
“I spoke to the Marske manager at Frickley (against Ossett United) on the Friday night,” he said.
“They have only conceded two goals and they were against us.
“I said to him ‘who you watching’?
“He went ‘I’m the Marske manager, are you watching anyone’?
“I said ‘I’m the Liversedge manager’.
“He said ‘oh, the only team to bully us’.
“His wife was stood there and she said ‘oh, I heard it all Saturday night, you ruined my night, never mind his’!
“But he said ‘you’ll do well in this league because you’re physical and lads who have played this league and higher’.
“I think we have a good mix at the moment but we’re not sitting on our hands, we’re always looking to improve.”
‘Sedge return to 2020 FA Vase winners Hebburn Town – five months after the Vase fourth round defeat.
Rimmington’s men head to the North East giants with the squad situation in a similar scenario.
“That’s (the FA Vase defeat) forgotten,” he said.
“We went there without a full squad, we had four or five missing who were injured because I’d made a couple of mistakes playing the games too quickly after coming out of lockdown.
“We’re going a little stronger this time but not at full strength.
“Kurt won’t be available, Jack Steers won’t available, Joe Walton is not available and at the moment neither are Nicky Walker and Gav Allott because they are both injured.
“We’re going there to win the game but not fully firing on all cylinders.
“It’ll be the hardest game of the season so far.
“I’ve heard they have had injuries and they’ve got all their players back so they’re coming back to some sort of full strength team.
“I’m not going to moan about it.
“We’re going to go there and try and win the game.”
If you have enjoyed reading Non League Yorkshire over the past few months, please consider making a donation to the not-for-profit organisation NLY Community Sport which provides sport for children and adults with disabilities and learning difficulties. CLICK HERE to visit the JustGiving page. There is a video at the bottom of the page showing our work.
NLY Community Sport, run by James Grayson and Connor Rollinson, has always had combatting social isolation at the top of our objectives when running our Disability Football teams.
Our work is playing an important role in reintroducing our players, who have disabilities and learning difficulties, back into society.
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