MARK Gee is planning to overhaul the way North Leigh operate in a bid to take the club a step further next season.

The Millers claimed a top-ten finish in Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West for the eighth year running with a 4-1 win over Bashley in their season closer on Saturday, but the manager has higher aspirations.

North Leigh led the league in August and September, but after dropping out of the play-off places in November they fell away badly from the promotion picture, prompting Gee to reflect on where things went wrong.

“We have to look at where we failed this year,” he said.

“It’s more than just looking at some of the individual results which have let us down, we need to look at the reasons for those failures.

“There needs to be an overview of everything, because it’s not simply a case of being one midfielder or one striker short.

“Over the last eight years we’ve consistently been in the top half of the table.

“Now we just need to look at what we need to do to go to that next level.”

However, the battle at the top of the division looks set to be fiercer than ever next season.

And Gee warned North Leigh could find themselves playing catch-up long before the season has even begun if their preparations are not correct.

He said: “Whatever we do, it has to be in budget and we need to figure out what our budget is going to be for next season before we can do anything.

“Some teams already have players signed up on contracts – Totton have six.

“We don’t have any contracted players and we don’t have budgets in place, so we’re already behind those clubs.

“There were eight or nine sides who all had a chance of reaching the play-offs and it was probably a record points haul for the four that have made it this season.

“Obviously only two of those sides can go up and with teams like Kidlington and Salisbury coming into the division next year, you’d expect it to be a very strong league again.”

Jamie Cook scored twice just before half-time on Saturday to put the Millers in charge against whipping boys Bashley.

Substitute Elliott Osborne-Ricketts added a third in the 68th minute and although the visitors netted a consolation, Lance Williams had the final say late on to confirm a ninth-place finish.

North Leigh: Foster, Elkins, M Woodley, Turk, White (Fullerton 60),Westlake (Brown 70), Else, Hole, Cook (Osborne-Ricketts 45), L Williams, M Williams. Sub not used: Taylor

Attendance: 71.