Skegness secure a top ten finish

Chris Rawlinson believes there is plenty to build on next season.

A 1-1 draw at AFC Mansfield on Saturday brought to an end a campaign that saw Rawlinson replace former boss Nathan Collins in August and oversee an improvement in results that has ultimately seen them end in the top half.

And after assessing the final day display, Rawlinson reflected positively on the season as a whole.

He said: “It was an incredibly end-of-season affair on Saturday at AFC Mansfield. The pitch wasn't great and it wasn’t a very atmospheric ground, which was surprising to say they needed to win to guarantee safety.

"In the end though we were disappointed to concede the equaliser late on as we worked hard to get ahead but they put a great ball into the box so no complaints in their goal.

"We also have really begun to run out of fully fit lads, I maybe should have left us with a stronger squad before the deadline so this is something to learn for next season without a doubt.

“All in all though I think everyone connected to the club should be happy with the way season it has turned out – another top ten finish and just like last year a point or so away from from finishing in the top seven, winning 19 games with a defensive record better than all except the top three teams.

"This is especially after giving the league a nine-point head start and only ten points after ten games. This clearly shows we are on the right track although we haven't scored enough goals so we will have to think about how we can become a bit more creative whilst keeping our defensive strength, something to think about over the next couple of months to make sure we can have a good go to attack the play-offs next season.

"We are the right track but improvements are definitely possible and after a short break we will begin working toward this in earnest.”

Anstey Nomads were crowned champions of the UCL Premier North, with it being between Quorn and Loughborough Students for an inter-step play-off place – Quorn needing to win at Anstey on Tuesday (25th) to earn a top two place and a shot at promotion.