RETURNING Launceston manager Gary Jeffery has set his sights on a repeat of his final season in charge ahead of the Clarets’ league opener at home to Sticker on Friday night (7.30pm).

The Pennygillam club have been placed in Premier Division West of the revamped South West Peninsula League, meaning they’ll take on just Cornish clubs in league competition.

Last year was a dreadful one for the Clarets as they finished fourth from last in the last ever SWPL Premier Division.

Pre-season has seen them take on the likes of Plymouth Parkway, Holsworthy, Bude Town and Plymouth Marjon, as well as training sessions at Duchy College, leaving Jeffery quietly confident that his rebuilt squad can turn things around, having been appointed back in May following a year away from the hotseat.

He said: “It’s gone very well. Nowadays it’s very difficult as so many people go away and are on holiday so having a nucleus of the team has been quite difficult but we’ve gelled pretty well. Obviously our big test was at Plymouth Parkway (6-1 defeat), there were signs of some good stuff but from then we’ve mainly played sides from the lower leagues and been pretty dominant, but the big test is when we start on Friday night against Sticker. Overall, there have been more positives than negatives.”

So what does Jeffery expect from the new league structure which has effectively seen two divisions formed from last year’s Premier Division and Division One West and East, into a Premier Division West (all Cornwall sides) and Premier Division East?

He said: “Each team seems to have strengthened due to the change of league structure. I don’t think the Devon league (East) will be as strong as the Cornwall league, which I expect to be really tough, and one which is really hard to judge. If you look at Millbrook last year, no-one expected them to finish seventh in their first year following promotion, so it shows if you work hard, you can do well.”

As ever, Jeffery is looking for the North Cornwall club to compete at the top end of the division.

He said: “I want to win football matches and take every game as it comes, and rebuild from last year. Last season was a disaster for the club and it was hard to watch, especially as when I was there the year before, we finished seventh.

“As a competitive manager I want to win the league, but I also need to be realistic. Saltash (United) are probably the favourites, just ahead of Helston, after winning a couple trophies recently and beating Tavistock a couple of weekends ago, while the likes of Bodmin have strengthened as well.”

Jeffery wants to emulate what Matt Cusack has done at Saltash.

He said: “We have to have a look at what they’ve done. They hadn’t won anything major for years but won a couple of cup competitions, and with Tavistock going up into the Western League, it’s put them in a very strong position, so we need to take a leaf out of their book.

“We just want to be competitive in the cup competitions as well and go as far as we possibly can. We have Cheddar in the FA Vase (August 31), and they usually bring a decent following and are supposed to be bringing coach down, so that should be a great occasion.”

With plenty of attacking firepower at his disposal, Jeffery is going to try and entertain the Pennygillam faithful.

He said: “When I came back I just wanted to help the club and the signings we’ve made will make a massive difference. We’ll look to win every game, even when Saltash come, I’ll be looking to beat them, that’s my attitude. If they score two, we’ll be looking to score three, I’m not here to muck about.”

Jeffery has been busy throughout the summer, rebuilding his squad.

“I held a team meeting before I officially came back to see who wanted to stay or not and tell them what I expected from them. A couple left, which is to be expected, but I’ve given the boys a chance. I’ve signed players where I felt it was needed, which has been difficult on our budget. If I had Helston’s budget then I’d have a good shot at winning the league, if they don’t win it then they’d have failed massively but it’s not always about that. Look at St Austell, they had Liam Eddy and Mark Goldsworthy up front who have gone to Helston, and they didn’t win the league, it’s got to be about the team.”

At the back, Josh McCabe (pictured above right) has returned to the club from Torpoint Athletic and has been appointed captain and is likely to line up alongside fellow central defender Matt Thackeray who has signed from Elburton Villa.

But it is further forward where Jeffery has been really active. In midfield, former Plymouth Argyle youngsters James Bradley, Dan Hart and Andrew Elcock have all signed on — the latter joining McCabe in returning to the club, as has Ryan Moorhead, who can play at full-back or in midfield. Eighteen-year-old Charley Skilton has also signed on, having been at Axminster Town.

In the forward areas, brothers Billy and Harry Hopcroft have joined as has former Marjon striker Morgan Parsonage while forward Tom Ellacott has stepped up from the reserve team.

One significant departure though has seen influential central midfielder Callum Watson leave to play for newly-promoted Western League Premier outfit Tavistock. He does however remain registered and is likely to play when he can. Also from last year’s squad, forwards Jack Alexander and Jordan Walton have moved to St Blazey while former skipper Lee Rundle will ply his trade at Dobwalls.

Rundle has been replaced as captain by McCabe while two of last season’s squad have been given prominent roles.

Jeffery said: “I was very pleased that goalkeeper Josh Colwill and left-back Charlie Hardcastle are staying. Charlie, being a Plymouth boy, could have left but he’s shown what commitment he has and has been appointed vice-captain with Josh working alongside the staff and committee to be the club captain. Josh will be quite hands-on and attend meetings and be the link between the players and the club.”

Jeffery seems particularly excited by the midfield trio of Bradley, Elcock and Hart as well as Ellacott.

“Dan Hart and Andrew Elcock will be exciting for us, backed by another new signing in James Bradley, who like Dan and Andrew are ex-Argyle academy players. What’s great is that all three of them played together at Argyle, so it’s kind of a reunion for them.

“After a couple of up and down years at the club in the reserves, Tom Ellacott has been like a new signing with his goals, commitment and fitness. He should be a major player for us this season.

“I’ve got a lot of players at the front end, almost overloaded in fact, but we’re looking to score goals.

“You can’t predict anything in the Cornwall league, there are a lot of unfamiliar places for us to go away from home such as Porthleven and Mousehole. It’s going to be a really tough league but we’re really excited to get started on Friday night.”