Halstead Templars may have ended their Greene King Eastern Counties League division three south season with a defeat, but there were plenty of positives to take from the campaign.

The Templars finished with a 24-17 defeat to Thurston seconds on the final day, however, they ended fourth in the table and coach Steve Arundell said they could take satisfaction from that.

Arundell said: “If you had told us at the start of the year that, having been promoted up a level, we would end a tough season sitting fourth, we would have bitten your hand off.

“The top two teams (Colchester thirds and Sudbury seconds) were clearly not for this league level but all the other games were competitive.

“Only two games were not played all season which is exactly what we need to build from for next season.”