Instead of planning for life in the Premier League, Worthing find themselves preparing for a second shot at promotion, as they aim to finish the job of last season’s squad.  Manager, Michelle Lawrence was keen to draw a line under the matter saying, “Our focus is very much on the upcoming season. Of course we were disappointed when we learned of The FA’s decision but since preseason training started, there has been no mention of last season just a steely determination amongst the players to do well this season”.

Lawrence was keen to add to the squad ahead of the forthcoming season, and has been impressed with how well her new acquisitions have settled in. “We have competition for places, and flexibility within the group to switch systems.  The player that have come in have all played at an elite level so the tempo of training has risen, and we’ve been able to implement a more aggressive style of play”.

As well as adding to the squad, Lawrence says the greatest acquisition of the summer was to secure the help of former Chichester City Ladies manager Matt Wright for the season.  Speaking of his appointment as Head Coach, Lawrence said, “Matt is a great person. He has a wealth of experience and has such enthusiasm for the game.  The players will benefit immensely from working with him, and it’s great for me to have additional support”.

The Reds face a challenging start to the season with their first six matches all being away from home starting with a tricky match against Hassocks on Sunday. Recalling their league encounters last season, Lawrence expects them to be defensively organised and hard to break down, “all I ask is for the players to play with freedom.  They know they will need to be patient and concentrated at the back”.

The match kicks-off at 2pm at The Beacon and anyone wanting to attend is required to register in advance of the match.