Livingston Women’s coach Paul Jaconelli says his Lionesses side are ready for the challenge of the revamped SWF Championship as they get their season underway on Sunday.
Livi played their inaugural season in the third tier Championship South last term, missing out on promotion thanks to a disappointing final few games.
But the leagues have a new look this term with the side taking part in an eight-team national Championship.
They make the trip to Dundee this weekend to face Dryburgh Athletic before welcoming Renfrew to the Tony Macaroni Arena for their first home game of the campaign next Sunday.
Speaking to the Courier, Jaconelli said his players will have to be at their best every game but is confident they can be challenging at the top end.
He said: “There’s some very, very good teams in this league and every side is going to have to perform close to 100 per cent to pick up points this season.
“It’s going to be a really competitive league but that should be the case and we’re all looking forward to testing ourselves.
“I’m really happy with how the squad is looking just now and we’ve done well in friendlies against top teams that have really tested us and shown us the sort of levels we need to be at if we want to be playing at a higher level.”
The gaffer is also delighted to simply have had a normal pre-season following the disruption caused by covid last term and believes that can benefit his side.
He added: “Pre-season last year was different with all the restrictions like non-contact and small sides that we had to deal with but it’s been 100 per cent this season and that can only be a good thing.
“Having that time and opportunity to properly work on things before the season will hopefully stand us in good stead.”
He added: “I’ve been really happy with the recruitment so far and we’ve been able to bring in some players who I think will have a huge impact on this team.
“There’s maybe a couple of areas of the park where I think we need some more cover but I’m really excited to see how the girls perform and adapt to the challenge of a new league.”
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