BAXENDEN are the Jekyll and Hyde team of the Ribblesdale Senior League.

And the new season has got off to a typically schizophrenic start for the Back Lane side.

After a summer of re-building following a relatively disappointing campaign last season, hopes were high of silverware for Mark Rishton's team.

They started with a defeat at Whalley but then they stunned title favourites Clitheroe.

But they were on the wrong end of a drubbing on Saturday as they were unceremoniously dumped out of the Ramsbottom Cup at the first hurdle by last year's winners Settle.

And it's the inconsistent nature of his side that Rishton is keen to iron out of their game as he aims to put his team in the battle for league honours come the end of the season.

He said: "We already had some highs and lows.

"Against Whalley we were just beaten by a better team but then we bounced back and got a really good win against Clitheroe.

"But again on Saturday we let ourselves down a bit.

"We started really well against them. "We restricted them to about 30 in 21 overs but then we dropped their pro and he just exploded.

"If you drop a professional they tend to punish you and he certainly did.

"He rattled up a ton in next to no time and they posted a big score and we never got close."

But Rishton is looking for a reaction from his side as they head into this week's double header against Read and Great Harwood respectively.

"We always seem to play better against the sides at the top of the league. But we can just as easily go and get rolled over by a team at the bottom of the league.

"That's how we've been and we need to be more consistent."

But nobody at Back Lane is pushing the panic button yet.

"We had four new players, including the pro Jonathan Fielding, and they're still finding their feet," he added."We need to find some consistency and that's what we're working hard to do.

"We're a happy dressing room and I'm very confident we can have a good season."