Cleator Moor Celtic completed their North West Counties Division One season with a 5-3 defeat at Garstang.
They must now await their fate after finishing bottom of the League and where they play next season will depend on whether there are any qualified candidates to replace them.
Manager Brian Dawson said: “I do believe that we are now starting to find our feet and if we manage to remain in the League I would be confident that this season wouldn’t be repeated.
“However that decision looks likely to be out of our hands unfortunately.
“Yes we could have done things differently throughout the season and at times played stronger teams but we needed to change the culture at the club.
“I believe we’ve done this. Attendances at training have been excellent and availability for games are always good excluding the hectic week we’ve just had, so that tells me the lads are buying into what we are trying to instil.
“If we go down then it wouldn’t be the end of the world. It would allow us to gain confidence and grow as a group.
“I’m also sure it would be only for 12 months.
“The North West Counties is a great League and it’s 100% where we want to be long term.
“Hopefully we might get a reprieve if there’s not enough applicants accepted, so fingers crossed.”
Celtic had started poorly but once they found their feet were more than a match for Garstang.
Unfortunately good fortune wasn’t on their side again and at 1-0 down they lost goalkeeper Luke McKnight to concussion, who had to be replaced by Conor Cooke.
Zac Clark scored twice in the first 13 minutes before Connor Hammell, who was a constant thorn in Garstang’s side, pulled one back for Celtic after 26 minutes.
But Clark completed his hat-trick in the fifth minute of stoppage time and Joe Noblet made it 4-1 with a penalty eight minutes after the re-start.
Hammell scored Celtic’s second on 81 minutes and although Andrew Murphy made it 5-2 three minutes later the last word was with Celtic.
Dawson went on as a substitute for the last 10 minutes and the 44-year-old former Barrow and Workington striker poached a third goal for his side in the closing stages.
