East Kilbride Thistle boss Garry O’Hanlon intends to build on last season’s progress at the club, but says the West of Scotland League Third Division is ‘wide open’.
O’Hanlon and his coaching team have moved swiftly to secure 12 of last season’s squad, while adding St Cadoc’s pair Ross Kennedy and Dino Molinari to their forwards.
They join Ben McAllister, Tony Kerr, Matt Gray, Jordan Hutchison, Dean Fitzpatrick, Jack McKenna, Ally MacDonald, Adam Edgar, Andrew Skinner, Danny Hashim, Evan Duffy and Kyle Kidd, who will return for pre-season training on Saturday.
Harry Purves, Cole McIntyre, Paul Smith, Ross McLellan and Ronan Fox have all left, but former EK striker O’Hanlon says some are away to progress their careers.
With an eye on next season, O’Hanlon is looking to make further additions, but needs to get the blend right.
He said: “I’ve had a look at how the teams are going to shape up, and it’s wide open – everyone has a chance of beating each other.
“Last season I would have said all the divisions were quite varied, with some having bigger budgets, but right across the board, I don’t think there’s going to be much in it.
“Our target is just to try and build on last season and try to work as best that we can.
“We have our own targets within the club and the squad, and expectations as does everybody, but just to build on what we did.”
O’Hanlon added: “We start back on Saturday, so we’re just looking to see what we’ve got, squad-wise, and looking to add to it.
“The boys that have committed have been there last season, but the group themselves have been together for a long time.
“For the boys who are moving on, it isn’t anything to do with the managerial change-over, some of them are moving to further their career. It has been positive.
“The boys are pretty young, so we’re trying to help them develop.”
This is Garry’s first crack at management, and he says he’s now looking forward to it, having initially had mixed feelings amid Alan Paterson’s exit last month after a violent assault in the town.
“I’m excited now,” he said. “We’ve got a few pre-season games lined up and I’m just waiting to hear back.
“We’ve got Troon on July 9, I’ve got four or five set up so far, and I believe the opening day of the season is on July 30.
“If we can get a good six weeks at it, it gives us time to implement our ideas and try to kick on.”
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