Helston Athletic Women’s boss Paul Parfitt believes both their first and their development teams can do ‘really well this season in their respective leagues’ this season.

The first team have just been promoted to the South West Women’s Regional Football League (SWWRFL) and the development squad will play their debut season in the Cornwall Women’s Football League (CWFL.)


Parfitt said: “A team normally that gets promoted has no right to win the league of the one they are going into. But the reality and the focus of my opinion of our squad is that we can be up there this season. I would also hope we are challenging for the county cup as well.”


Helston played their first game of pre season last Sunday which saw a mixture of the first and development squad run out in a 9-1 victory against Signal Box Ladies FC.

Parfitt was pleased with the number of players, especially young players who managed to play in that fixture he said:“The important thing is we played 20 players that game,a lot of players were development team players, one girl was playing her first ever football game, there were four other debutants and at one stage we had seven under 21s on the pitch so it was a positive.


“When you have the firepower we have been blessed with and the forward line that we have, which we have actually strengthened we have come accustomed to a lot of goals. Signal Box played some very good football, our goalkeeper played very well and made some good saves, the fact we are so clinical in front of goal is the difference between us and most teams.”


One of the main sources of goals for the first team last season was from captain and striker Sasha Sparkes who won the golden boot award in the league last season. All together she scored 41 times in 16 games and Athletic will be hoping she can continue her fantastic form this season. 


The first team can expect a tougher season this team out following promotion and Parfitt believes that these closer matches will benefit his players: “We want to be in more dogfight games this season, when we beat Marine Academy Plymouth 5-3 in the FA Cup last year it was one of the best wins in my managerial career. They are the games we want to be playing week in week out, I’d rather be winning games against top opposition 2-0 rather than 11-1. I think that is better for the game, for us and the players. 


“It is a top quality league that we are going into. Callington have two teams so they will have depth and a good set of quality players. Liverton and Saltash like us went unbeaten last season so it is going to be a tough league but that is what we are looking for.” Added Parfitt.


The division covers the South West of the country rather than just Cornwall unlike last season but the prospect of potentially travelling further to matches is not something that the manager is concerned about: “We travelled well last season, we are travelling in pre season up to Tiverton and Seaton in Devon. We relish the idea of new grounds new challenges, I think nothing better than going away to play. 


“I think the players will be absolutely super committed as per usual. In the FA Cup last season we were travelling with 20 players in the squad, sometimes we’d take 24 with four players just wanting to be part of the day. We will travel full strength.” Said Parfitt.