ON the day he was appointed manager of Barnstaple Town, Owen Pickard set himself a challenge on the Everest scale of mountains to climb.

"The situation couldn't be worse but it's a new challenge and that's part of the incentive: to bring my hometown club out of the doldrums," said Pickard before watching the players he inherited slump to a 5-1 home defeat against Wellington.

By Boxing Day, Barum were 10 points adrift at the bottom of the Toolstation Premier Division and looking up as someone appeared to plonk K2 on top of Everest.

But, incredibly, Pickard masterminded a great escape to beat the drop, and while his hometown club aren't out of the doldrums they have at least found their compass, plotted a course and got the basis of a decent crew.

When former boss Pete Buckingham decided to quit at half-time in a 6-2 Les Phillips Cup drubbing by Gillingham Town in October, Barnstaple were in a right mess.

They were haemorrhaging players amid budget cuts, not that those players were setting the league alight. They had managed one win — at Ilfracombe Town in their second game — and were simply not gelling as a team.

That was Pickard's biggest achievement in leading Barnstaple away from the bottom. Not only did he rebuild the team — only Steve Shore and Kevin Squire started the first and last games of the season — he also instilled organisation and discipline, getting their first clean sheet in February and ending the season with three in a row.

The player exodus in Buckingham's final days opened up opportunities for youngsters that might not have come. Cory Roach was not out of his depth, Luke Austen emerged as a reliable full-back or midfielder and England Colleges striker Stan Paxton was a real find whose return of six goals in 19 games would surely have been better but for a troublesome ankle.

Based on the last 20 games of the season, Barnstaple would have finished 10th, in a comfortable mid-table position with Ilfracombe.

With that form, Squire rediscovering his scoring touch to net eight goals in the last seven games and impressive contributions from Pickard signings Tom Rossiter and Jon Bradford, plus the expectation of at least four new recruits, Barnstaple fans can be confident their side will at least avoid another struggle against the drop next term.

● YOU can only win football matches if you first make sure you are not going to lose them.

That was the key to Ilfracombe Town's survival in the Toolstation League Premier Division this season.

Apart from the occasional blip — three goals at home to Bristol Manor Farm and Frome Town — Combe's defence was rock solid. Only four teams conceded fewer goals during the second half of the season.

Steve Oliver, arguably the top keeper out of North Devon's Toolstation teams, and Steve Hobbs, Karl Baggaley, James Mayne and Neil Bettiss — in whatever combination they were used — maintained a well-organised backline, even if the offside trap occasionally left them caught for pace.

Add Ilfracombe's formidable team spirit and they ensured they were never quite in as much trouble as Barnstaple Town.

"We stick together — that's what we as a club are all about," said manager Barry Yeo.

"We work hard every week and deserve what we get. We don't go round saying we were robbed, if we lose we just work hard and put up with it."

Combe were losing a lot early in the season, even before they lost Yeo while he won his battle with cancer. His return brought renewed purpose to the club and the second half of the season saw more wins than defeats.

All they need to avoid another relegation battle next season is someone to put the goals away. Leon Taswell's return of five from 33 league games was disappointing following his efforts in 2007/08 — 29 goals in 39 games.

"We're looked upon as the third biggest of the North Devon teams in the Toolstation League. But yet again we've finished above Barnstaple and we try to get close to Bideford — we would like to get up where they are," added Yeo.

● BIDEFORD will look back on 2008/09 as a season of two halves.

Prior to Christmas, the Robins found themselves stuck in the unfamiliar territory of mid-table, unable to find any consistency.

But buoyed by a run to the quarter-finals of the FA Vase, things were far more positive in the new year.

In the end, the 4-0 Vase defeat at Lowestoft Town was a game too far following excellent wins over Scarborough Athletic and Spennymoor Town.

While Biddy matched last year's position of sixth in the Toolstation Premier Division, it has certainly been a season of change at the Sports Ground.

Of the 11 players who started on the opening day at Radstock Town, only Nick Barker, Ian Down, Shaun Lewis and Robbie Gough were in the side for the final fixture at Welton Rovers.

Included in the long list of lads to leave are Kenny Griffiths, Reece Moseley, Darren Hawkings, Tom Stocco, Neil Bettiss, Clay Bond and Radley Veale.

Defensively, the Robins were unusually shaky during the first half of the campaign, conceding an average of 1.32 goals in the 19 matches before Christmas.

That stat improved significantly to 0.81 over the last 21 games as Sean Joyce was able to field a settled backline.

Ryan Draper returned from Dawlish Town, replacing Griffiths in goal, while centre-half Dominic Rivans impressed after joining from Witheridge.

Founding their Vase run on the form of Draper and defensive trio Rivans, Robbie Herrera and Hawkings, Biddy also stopped leaking in the league.

Even after the blow of losing linchpin Hawkings to Barnstaple Town, Rob Francis stepped into a solid defence.

Wastefulness in front of goal has been a recurring theme throughout Bideford's campaign however.

They averaged 1.53 goals per game before Christmas and 1.86 thereafter — still not enough to trouble the top sides.

Bideford's leading marksman was Ellis Laight with 10, closely followed by Jamie Densham and Gough on nine each.

After the unprecedented success of four league titles in five years, there have now been three barren seasons, but expectation levels remain high.

"It is important we win every game and we have got to win it with style, that's the standard we have set at this club," said Joyce.