Complex sentence: The club joined the Southern Football League Division Two (South West Section) in 1898 winning that division at their first attempt, however they finished as runners-up in the overall Division two play-off to Thames Ironworks.
Split into simpler sentences: The club joined the Southern Football League Division Two (South West Section) in 1898, winning that division at their first attempt. However, they finished as runners-up in the overall Division two play-off to Thames Ironworks.