Alan Colquhoun has brought stability back to Liversedge and he has set sights on finishing in the top half
Alan Colquhoun has set his sights on guiding Liversedge to at least an Toolstation NCEL Premier Division top half finish this season.
Colquhoun and his assistant Mark Greaves have masterminded a “complete re-build’ of a Liversedge team, who were extremely lucky to stay-up last season.
‘Sedge are 13th after an unbeaten three league game run which includes the brilliant 2-1 win at Handsworth Parramore.
Colquhoun told Non League Yorkshire: “We weren’t quite ready for the start of the season and we have continued to bring players in the last few weeks and we have a good squad of players.
“Since the first four games, the attitude has been good and the players we have available have increased in quality and we’re a decent side.
“My target is to finish in the top half and come Christmas I may change that to top eight.
“We have some big games coming up. We have Pickering, Albion Sports, Glasshoughton – all the teams that are around us.
“We have played most of the top teams. If we are in the top half by Christmas, the target will be finish in the top eight.
“It may be ambitious, but we have to be positive. With the players we have got here are capable of doing that.”
Nostell’s most successful manager Colquhoun originally arrived at Clayborn last Christmas to assist rookie boss Dave Thompson.
Thompson was third manager of the campaign after Eric Gilchrist and then James Riordan.
However, Thompson was only able to field a young team and results suffered and Liversedge’s record under Gilchrist kept them afloat.
Colquhoun was handed the top job in June and has steadily brought stability back to the club.
The heavy opening day defeat to Cleethorpes was not the best of starts and it took until the sixth league game to record their first win.
Since then ‘Sedge have never looked back.
“It looked like it (we might struggle after the first five games), but I never felt that we would finish in the bottom four,” he said.
“I know a lot of people had us down as relegation candidates along with a few other clubs.
“With the players and the time, effort and commitment we have got, I always knew we would get it right.
“From what people have seen over the last six weeks, I think we have a fair chance of finishing in the top half of the table.
“One we do need to sort out is our home form. Our home form has been poor and it took until last Saturday at home to Maltby to get our first three points at home.
“Our away form has been excellent as we have only lost twice.”
Alan Colquhoun has admitted that goalkeeper Sam Dobbs has made a difference for Liversedge
Players like leading goal-scorer Andrew Wood have played a key role along with fellow frontman Kieron Corley.
The recruitment of Sam Dobbs, who was rated as one of the best goalkeepers in the Evo Stik Division One North last season, from Ossett Town has also been crucial.
“I’ve known Sam for many years as he played for me at Nostell. Not only is he a good goalkeeper, he’s motivated and he wants to win every game,” he said.
“He has a great attitude and he’s good to have around the club.
“He’s made a difference. Not just singling him out, we have had a regular fixed back four for five or six weeks as well and they have had chance to gel.
“It makes a difference, rather the first five games when I don’t think we played the same back four.”
Liversedge will host Tadcaster Albion tomorrow, only a few days after their 3-1 defeat to the same opposition in the West Riding County Cup.
Brook Newton, Adam Smith and their club captain Tom Jackson, formerly of Farsley AFC, are available for selection.
Looking back on the defeat and then on the game tomorrow, Colquhoun added: “I’ve played 4-4-2 all season, but from knowing Paul (Marshall) and playing Taddy earlier in the season, we changed to 4-3-3 and it worked.
“We didn’t allow them time on the ball to pick out passes and dominate. I felt at half-time we could have been 2-0 up instead of 1-0 because we missed a few chances.
“At the start of the second half we had a couple of chances to take it to 2-0 and we didn’t kill the game off.
“You can’t afford to do that against Tadcaster because they are as good as a team I have seen this season.
“We paid the price for it. 3-1 flattered them in the end though.
“We’re looking forward to Saturday. We’re ready for it after Tuesdays performance.
“The players can’t wait to have another crack at beating Tadcaster, who are favourites to go up.
“They’ll come with the majority of the same players as Tuesday night. Personally from a Liversedge point of view, we’ll have another three regular first team players available.
“They will want to come back in, but the lads who played on Tuesday night have made it really difficult for us to choose a starting eleven.”