HULLBRIDGE Sports enjoyed a remarkable season of their own, as they recorded their best ever league finish in the Essex Senior League.

Mark Bliss led the club to a top four finish in the division for the first time since they joined the league 25 years ago.

Having finished ninth last term in what was the side’s best performance since the turn of the millennium as well as winning the Gordon Brasted Trophy, it was going to be tough to match those exploits this time around.

But the Lower Road side have exceeded expectations, scoring more points than ever before (74) and winning eight more games (24) than their previous best from last term.

The club also matched their FA Vase exploits from last season, in which they made the fourth round.

They have also replaced the goals of Liam Nash, so prominent in the first half of the season, with Luke Hornsley, inset, joining the club from Bowers & Pitsea and scoring 19 times in 23 matches.

In a season decimated by the weather, Sports had a fixture backlog come the end of the season – playing nine matches in the month of March – although they lost only one (to champions Haringey Borough).

Basildon United were not able to match the heights of last season after a fragmented and disjointed campaign.

The team was struggling come the end of September, as manager Colin Cook stepped down following a run of six defeats in Bees’ first 10 matches.

But Craig Gillam stepped into the breach and the team enjoyed an upsurge in form come September, winning five of seven games since the start of October.

But only 11 games in the next four months because of rain meant Bees started to slide down the league.

A return of only two points from a possible 30 come the final day of the season meant Basildon were sitting in 13th, but a win against Takeley ensured a positive end to the campaign.

All in all, Bees ended 12th as opposed to seventh last time around, winning fewer games and ending up with 12 fewer points.

Southend Manor ended the season in 18th, pipping Greenhouse London to third-bottom come the final week of the campaign.

It has been a hard year for manager Wayne Seal and his players, winning only eight games and equalling last season’s unwanted record of 23 defeats.

However, a final day triumph over rivals Basildon United meant it wasn’t all doom and gloom as the curtain came down on their season.