THEY moved into their new facilities at Victoria Park Arena two years ago and now Latchford Albion are ready to make it “a fortress.”

In their first season back in the North West Men’s League Premier Division, Albion finished eighth – consolidation after promotion in 2016.

Their home ground is one of the finest facilities in the amateur game, but head coach Lee Smith says playing there often boosts visiting teams as well as his own.

However, Smith wants his Albion side to counter that this year as they target the higher reaches of the table.

“We’re so blessed to have it on our doorstep and to be using it week in week out,” he said.

“It might sound daft, but what it has done is make visiting teams play a little bit better!

“Most weeks, they are playing on pitches that aren’t great. They come to Victoria Park and it’s a whole different world.

“They raise their game and it’s a thing we have to counter.

“The facilities are second to none, which means our environment is allowed to grow.

“We’re trying to make Victoria Park feel like a fortress and we’re getting there now.”

At one stage in 2017, Albion put together a run of six victories from seven games, including a win over eventual champions Thatto Heath Crusaders A.

However, the remainder of the campaign saw Latchford struggle to put a consistent run of results together, something Smith says is his biggest target in 2018 as he considers last year “a season-long pre-season.”

If they manage to do that, the Albion head coach believes winning the league title is a realistic ambition.

“Consistency was our biggest lesson from last year and that’s what we have to aim for this year,” he said.

“If we’d have been a bit more consistent, we could have shaken up that league last season.

“We had some big results against the likes of Haydock and Thatto Heath, but we have to put it together.

“The hardest thing at this level is getting the same team out week in, week out.

“Looking at how we played last year, it was like a season-long pre-season campaign for us.

“We had nine new lads starting with us, so it was all about finding a bit of form.

“If everyone does what they are supposed to, there’s no reason why we can’t be very, very close to that title.”

Latchford also made the Stuart Middleton Foundation Warrington Cup Final in 2017 but lost out to Woolston Rovers on their home ground in August.

Smith says winning that trophy is also in his eyeline to prove a point to the town’s other amateur teams.

“The Warrington Cup has to be a target as well,” he said.

“We have to show the rest of the teams in the town that we’re no joke just because we don’t play in the National Conference League.

“I think we did that last year and the year before, but the silly mistakes and naïve play at times is what’s costing us. That’s all to do with training and consistency.

“Whether it’s this year or next year, we want to be getting closer to the other Warrington teams.”

Ahead of last season, Latchford brought Warrington Wolves forward Mike Cooper on board as the club’s director of rugby.

The England international, a former Latchford junior, often spends time coaching at the club and Smith says he has been a big influence on the team.

“Coops is a Latchford lad through and through,” he said.

“When he’s down at the sessions, he never tries to overcomplicate it and make the lads feel daft.

“He keeps drilling home the basics and getting across the message we need.

“We’re looking forward to having him involved again and helping to lead us on and off the pitch.

“We’re still not where we want to be yet from a club point of view. We’re still settling into our new facilities, we’ve got a pretty new playing staff who are getting settled in as well.

“Dave Yii, our assistant coach, has just passed his badges and he’s getting his teeth into the coaching now.

“I always says to the lads that, while we may not be professional, we can act it and that’s the mantra we want to keep to.”