Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division
Although Ecclesfield Red Rose 1915 have to be happy with their first full season back in the Premier, Jon Wragg admits there is reason to think ‘if only…’
Fourth-placed Ecclesfield will finish in the top seven but their chances of sixth or above hinge heavily on Wombwell Main and Oughtibridge collapsing.
“I think if we had everyone available in the second half of the season then I think we would have been pushing top four,” Wragg told Non League Yorkshire.
“After we beat Penistone away (in early March), we lost to Houghton and we lost to Jubilee which was a shocking defeat.
“We had some winnable games against sides at the bottom and we blew the opportunity.
“Against North Gawber we were 3-0 up and we played some of the best football we have played since I have been at Red Rose.
“It could have been five or six but we drew 3-3.
“So you look at some of the points we have dropped in the last month and we could have been fourth if we had done what we should have done in those games.
“It is frustrating, but equally when you have the spine of your team ripped out then you’re going to struggle. Any team at any level would do.
“We have always had the aspiration to be in the top six but from where we have come from in the First Division then we have done well.
“In the starting eleven (last Saturday), only two had experience of a full season in the County Senior League Premier.
“We’re relatively new to it in that sense and the lads have done us proud.”
Wragg concedes that a top five finish is unlikely.
“I think we’re going to struggle with our top five target, even top six potentially,” he said.
“Oughtibridge have games-in-hand on us, Wombwell are three points behind and you’d expect them to win their next couple of games.
“We have got to play Wombwell and Dodworth in our last two games and they are two tough games.
“Oughtibridge have four games-in-hand on us and they’re only five points behind us so they will fancy their chances of racking up those points.
“Penistone also have games-in-hand as well and they’re only three points behind us.
“I still think we’ll be batting it out for the top six and I think if we can get a result in our last two games then we’ll have a good chance of the top six.
“That was the target at the start of the season and we would be happy with that.”
Wragg lays the blame on their sticky form on a lengthy injury list.
“Since Christmas we have been decimated by injuries,” he said.
“Two first choice goalkeepers haven’t played in the second half of the season.
“Captain Tyler Bates has only finished two games all season and he was man of the match in both of those so you can tell what kind of loss he is.
“Laurie Wilson has had a calf injury which has kept him out for four months.
“He came back on the bench on Saturday.
“Gav Hunter has retired and Jacob Rickards has not played since Penistone away.
“He injured his knee at work and this season he has started 11 games for us and got ten goals.
“If you take the spine out of any side then it is always going to be difficult.
“The lads who have come in have done a cracking job but a lot of them are young and haven’t played at this level and the other ones are lads who are a lot older who have come out of retirement or are helping us out.
“To still even be in the mix and talking about top four or five then we’re doing well.”