PICTURES: Moore calls early return
2:07pm Thursday 1st May 2008
WARRINGTON Town Football Club will start their pre-season training a month earlier than usual this year.
Manager Paul Moore, whose side ended the UniBond First Division South campaign with a draw at Stocksbridge Park Steels on Saturday, wants additional time to prepare his charges for a promotion push next season.
The retained players, and potentially some newcomers too, return to camp on June 2, giving the squad just over a month's work together before the first friendly away to Leigh RMI on July 8.
Moore said: "It's notorious that players go on holiday in July and August.
"We've got to get ourselves ready and players need more than the six to eight training sessions that we would have by starting pre-season a month later."
Moore, now working through the process of deciding which players are to be retained, released and approached, wants his men to learn how to kill teams off in readiness for next term.
The team he has assembled since arriving at the end of November, which has ended the season in 13th place, has shown it can compete with the division's leading sides but not always achieved the result that the performance has deserved.
Saturday's 2-2 draw at Stocksbridge, who have qualified for the end of season play-offs, was a case in question, with Town piling on pressure and taking a 1-0 lead in the first half but then falling behind 2-1 against 10 men in the second period.
Substitute Kevin Towey, returning from injury, helped to set up the equaliser for Thomas Lamb but then got sent off for an off-the-ball challenge when Town looked the most likely to score a winner.
Winger Scott Williams had put Town ahead in the 28th minute from the edge of the box after Karl Brown's initial free kick was blocked.
Stocksbridge, whose goalkeeper Adam Jeffery was dismissed on the stroke of half time for deliberate handball when Lamb was through on goal, levelled matters when Argentinian goalkeeper Diego Bassanini fouled on the edge of the box and Alvyn Riley was on hand to tuck away the resultant penalty.
Carl Fothergill was afforded too much space in the penalty box and he tucked the ball beyond Bassanini to put Stocksbridge 2-1 ahead in the 68th minute.
Their lead lasted for only five minutes with top goal scorer Lamb ending his season's tally on nine goals.
Town: Diego Bassanini, Steve Everett, Chris Fitzsimmons, Tom Spearitt, Andy Thomas, Nicky Prescott (Michael Owens 46mins), Karl Brown (Anthony Daniels 69mins), Francis Smith, Carl Rendell (Kevin Towey 69mins), Thomas Lamb, Scott Williams.
* Diego Bassanini continues to interest Tranmere Rovers, Crewe Alexandra and Chester City, and looks like he may have played his last game for Town.