THE 2018/19 football season has begun, with the South West Peninsula League and Combination League both under way.

The SWPL Division 1 West kicks off this weekend, and Wendron United manager Jack Greenwood spoke to the Packet to preview the new season.

Last season

13th in SWPL Division 1 West

2017-18 in a nutshell?

I think we had the makings of a good season and we went into December with a good run of fixtures ahead of us all at home that we could have maybe leapfrogged and started to compete at the top end of the table, and then all of those got cancelled and we didn't play until February and our season just sort of went downhill from there, so it was very frustrating.

I know it was the same for everyone but we didn't react or deal with the weather well and our availability was poor so it was a disappointing season all round really.

Best match of last season?

One of the most rewarding results was the win against Plymstock on the Sunday because we went up there with a fairly short side.

We'd just played on the Saturday and got thrashed by Mousehole and Plymstock away is never easy anyway.

We had our third team goalkeeper in, we had a 16-year-old in who is normally with the seconds and it was a really good win, we won I think 2 or 3-1 but the fact that we won was a really satisfying result and a good show of character from the lads.

Worst match of last season?

The Mousehole one was pretty demoralising but that was partly because I played in it as well, the Mousehole one was tough to take.

I think there were a couple towards the end. St Dennis wasn't great at home because I felt like we should have won that but yeah I suppose the Mousehole one was the worst one in terms of morale and everything.

I think it made the Plymstock one the following day an even sweeter result.

How has pre-season been going?

It's been good, we've had mixed results although results aren't everything in pre-season.

The most encouraging thing for us is we've been able to put out a fairly settled side each game. New players have come in and have been really impressive, we look a little bit stronger, a little bit fitter, we look like a bigger side so I'm quite pleased with how we're looking in pre-season.

How happy are you with your squad and your transfer business?

I feel like we've got in some really good lads, both on and off the pitch. One of the best new faces around is Andrew Ayre who is going to help Mike O'Neill and I out on the coaching team, and having him in has been brilliant.

He has been a breath of fresh air and has a lot of good ideas, so we've recruited well there and he's brought Ben Ringrose with him who has played pretty much every minute of pre-season, and looks very very good.

Sam Humphries has been very good and Toby Milligan as well, plus we've got Jack Rapsey who has unfortunately picked up an injury and is out for a few weeks, and Ryan Jones as well. We seemed to have a bit more height and strength to our team, our spine seems a little bit stronger.

Obviously we've lost Andreas [Calleja-Styne] which was a big blow but we've replaced with a different sort of player and a much more physical player so I am really pleased with how the squad is looking at the moment.

I think we have probably got the strongest squad we've had in the first team for quite a while at Wendron.

What are you most looking forward to about the new season?

It feels like last season we ended on a real bad run of just a lot of defeats, and I am looking forward to getting back out there and the way the games come thick and fast at the start, I'm just looking forward to us actually winning some games.

We always seem to be a bit stop-start and I'm hoping this year we manage to go on a couple of decent runs where go five or six or seven games unbeaten with a few more wins in there, so it would be nice if we could put some runs together like that.

I think I'm just looking forward to being back at it with the lads and hopefully winning some games.

What are your aims for the new season?

We would love to win the Charity Cup, we got to the semi-finals of that two years ago and lost to Sticker, and obviously we'd love to win the league but it's unrealistic.

For us it would be brilliant to be in and amongst the top four, top five teams in the league, but I think ultimately every year Wendron's priority is to stay in that league especially now the seconds are in the Combination League.

The first objective is to stay safe and then it's about how well we do from there, but I know we've got aspirations of being in and amongst the top four, five, six teams in the league rather than the bottom four, five or six.

Who are you tipping for the title?

Penzance look like they've recruited very well, so they look like they'll be a strong side. I'm not sure what's really happening with everyone else.

Mousehole, the way they finished last season you'd expect them to be right up there and the way they are doing things, which is admirable, you would expect them to be there or thereabouts.

Top scorer?

Hopefully a Wendron player! You've got Ed Wilton at Penzance, I wouldn't mind putting some money on him, he's quick and Penzance, like I say, look like they've recruited well.

Let's go with a Wendron player, let's say it will be TJ Walter.