TENBURY Town’s relegation from the Herefordshire Premier Division has been confirmed after the favour they needed from derby rivals Tenbury United failed to materialise.

Kington beat United 5-4 last week to move above Town and condemn them to bottom spot, with the teams level on points but with Kington boasting a far superior goal difference.

Tenbury Town had been cut adrift at the bottom for much of the season but Kington had dropped back below them after being deducted six points for not fulfilling fixtures.

However, after a season that has featured 20 defeats in 24 league games Town joint-manager Keiran Fish said he was relieved to be planning a campaign at a level below.

Fish said: “I think we deserved to finish above Kington seeing as how they haven’t fielded teams in some fixtures but they have pulled it out of the bag so never mind.

“It’s definitive now that we will be bottom and we haven’t got to worry about asking the league if we can go down voluntarily.

“I don’t necessarily expect to win the league below next season and it would be wrong to go into it with that attitude but we think we can be competitive.

“We have beaten the likes of Kington, Tenbury United and Holme Lacy this season, teams who will be far better than sides in the division below.

“As long as I can keep some of our decent players, who have said they will play again, I think we will be okay.

“What we don’t want is to come back up and then have another season like we have just had and then go straight back down.”

Tenbury United, meanwhile, have also endured a disappointing season, finishing third-bottom after the defeat at Kington in a game they led 3-1 at half-time.

From there they fell 5-3 behind and although United pulled one back, Kington held out.

United co-manager Aaron Morris said: “We peppered their goal for the last 15 minutes and had two cleared off the line.

“But we have struggled for numbers a lot this season and we need to regroup with some new faces.”