Nailsea & Tickenham’s Toolstation Western League Premier season has been a “wake up call” says co-manager Nic Steadman.

The Swags are competing at this level for the first time in their history after successive promotions.

The North Somerset outfit finished champions of the Uhlsport Somerset County League Premier in 2021-22, finishing unbeaten, to become the first team to boast an invincible campaign since Hengrove Athletic in 2005/06, before sealing a second placed finish in Division One last campaign.

But this year has seen Nailsea & Tickenham impacted by form and have lost eight players to injury.

Sam Thomas (knee) and Jimmy Sellick (knee) are both out for the season, while Hamish Hurst (ankle) Ryan Gissing (hamstring), Miles Hardidge, (ankle) Steve Kingdon (ankle), Morgan Davis (knee) and Lucas Vowles (hamstring) have all also suffered with injuries.

But Steadman said they have “huge excitement and confidence” that the second half will produce better results on and off and the pitch.

“Me and (co-manager) Jamie (Smith) were talking about this and we were saying before this season we had only lost five games in 96,” he said.

“So, this year has been a wake-up call but for our experience and to keep learning and developing it’s something we have tried to accept (but it’s) hard to accept losing but this is football, and it happens.

“Personally, I think we’ve been really unlucky with injuries and if you look back at all our games this season you will see we haven’t managed to play the same team in two or three games consistently.

“So, that has really killed us in many ways of still finding out our best team halfway into a season in such a good league!

“We have huge excitement and confidence that the second half of the season we will see more of a balance in our squad and results.

“Some important players will be coming back into the fold very soon.”

Steadman said there is no room for disappointment on their start to the season and their aim is to stay up.

“I mean this is the thing we need to change the way of thinking and our expectations,” he added.

“We are the smallest club in this league and punching above our weight so we can’t be disappointed, we have to thrive on the success over the last few years and just maintain Western League Premier Division football for next year which I’m confident we will do.

“That’s our focus and aim for this year.”