AFTER making the step up to semi-professional football this season, Steeton look to be settling in well in their new league.

The Chevrons sit tenth in the table halfway through their first Hallmark Security League Division One North campaign, losing 4-2 last night in a thriller to high-flying Avro.

They have won nine of their 20 games so far this season, which the players and staff would have definitely been happy with if you had told them they would be in this situation at the start of the campaign.

Steeton manager Roy Mason said: “I feel that we have exceeded expectations so far this season.

"We went into the season with very little expectation so to be sitting in the top half of the table coming into Christmas is great for us.

"We didn’t know what to expect coming into this league as it was a new standard of football for us, but I feel we have met the demands this league have put on us."

As well as taking the step up the leagues, Steeton have also participated in new cup competitions this season including the Buildbase FA Vase.

Their second round qualifier saw a prestigious victory as they beat Northallerton Town 2-1. However, they were unlucky not to progress into the third round after a narrow 3-2 loss to Avro.

When making the step up to the semi-pro game, Steeton decided they need a new environment to match the quality of football.

They signed a deal to ground share with rugby league side Keighley Cougars at Cougar Park as they also had to keep the official standards set in place by the league in mind.

With an average attendance of 120 per home game since August, these numbers could be seen as an efficient increase for the club. However, they are always keen to attract more support.

The club and its members feel their match days are a good value for money and they want to attract as big crowds as possible to help the players and the club as a whole.

Mason added: “I feel that we have settled in at Cougar Park brilliantly this season as myself and everyone involved with the club enjoy the stadium atmosphere.

"At Steeton, we like to play good football so we feel that having the chance to play at the best stadium in the league in Cougar Park suits us well.”

One stand-out player for them has been striker Andy Briggs.

Starting out at the club when he was only 16, he has progressed on to become the first team’s star striker. He has netted 17 goals in 19 appearances so far this season.

At the age of 20, he still has a long career ahead of him and Steeton will be hoping they can keep a hold of him for as long as possible.

He has pledged his allegiance to Steeton as he has received attention from clubs at a higher level. However, Briggs has confirmed he will be sticking with the Chevrons as he is pleased with the club's progression and is excited to see the levels the club could reach in the coming seasons.

With a run of four games in ten days, it is set to be a busy period for Mason and his squad.

They will be hoping to avoid any injuries and suspensions if they can to field the strongest starting 11 possible to get the points in the bag.

Mason added: “We are looking to take this period game by game as we don’t want to look too far in front in case of any sudden injuries or suspensions.

"We know a couple of players are carrying knocks so we are doing our best to keep them at full fitness.

"We are potentially looking to add a few new faces to our team in the coming weeks as at the moment our squad is fairly small.

"We are looking to strengthen defensively to give us more options and also in the central midfield position. Adding some experience to the squad would be beneficial for us as, at present, we have a very young side.”