In the first round they beat Witton Albion 1–0 before losing 3–2 to Port Vale in the second round. In 1951–52 they were champions for a second time, this time scoring 139 goals with Joe Fagan, who went on to manage Liverpool, as manager. A 5th-place finish in 1952–53, Fagan's second and final season in charge, was followed by a 3rd place in 1953–54.[1][2] However, despite finishing as champions twice, each time they applied to re-join the Football League they narrowly failed.