TOUGH TEST: Buckland Athletic overcame a young, athletic Bristol City side 1-0 in a promising pre-season.  Photograph contributed by club (c)HML Photographic

As far as opening fixtures go, Buckland Athletic Ladies couldn’t have asked for a tougher start to their inaugural campaign in the FA Women’s National League South West. Grant Fisher’s side will travel to Keynsham Town this afternoon, a team that many fancy for the title.

But Buckland have title aspirations of their own and if their pre-season preparations are anything to go by, this is no fanciful target. In particular, the 1-0 home victory over Women’s Premier League side Bristol City should have been an eye-opener, Laura Gough’s early second-half lob from outside of the box giving the Yellows the win over a side featuring no fewer than nine youth internationals: Aimee Watson, Lucia Carpanini, Sam Wynne, Ellie Mai Sanford and Anais Trinci (Wales Under-17/19); Eartha Cumings (Scotland Under-19s); Libby Gilmore (Northern Ireland Under-17s) and Georgia Wilson (England Under-17s)

Even with the caveat that this was ‘only’ a pre-season game, that was some achievement against a very young, fit side.

“We knew that they were going to bring a young side but one that would still pose many different challenges to what we had faced in the pre-season to date,” said first team manager and Director of Ladies and Girls football Grant Fisher. “The message before they went out there was firstly, enjoy it. To have a team like that come to us is always a big event for us and the community. We are so happy and honoured that Bristol City bring down a team to us every pre-season and give our local community the opportunity to watch them on a local stage.

“Secondly, it was to not be scared of what they might bring because ultimately there was no reward for winning the game. It was about testing ourselves against players that will, without doubt, become Super League and international players in one to two years. You’ve just got to look at Lauren Hemp who just scored a hat-trick in the Women’s Under-20 World Cup and now she’s playing for Manchester City. Last season she was here at Buckland on our fantastic pitch.”

“I think the team that we have now is far more established,” continued Fisher. “We have players in there who understand how we play and understand my way as a manager. We’ve been together for a longer period now and have signed some great recruits in the summer. We’ve improved dramatically in terms of how we play football. We’ve got players buying into the Buckland way and I feel we are stronger as a team than we ever were before, without a doubt.”

“We have come quite far,” echoed captain Hayley Chamberlain. “But there’s always something to improve on. If we keep working hard together then it will all come together. It’s always in Grant’s mind to go for promotion and, with a reasonably new team, we’re quite confident.”

So who have Buckland brought into their SWWFL Premier winning side?

“Firstly I should mention Alex Sheppard who was last year’s Torquay United captain,” said Fisher. “She is a phenomenal, quick, brave centre-half who will be a massive addition to the spine of the squad alongside Jodie Chubb. Both are only in their 20s and have many great years to come at this football club.

“Secondly, in comes Adele Rogers. She is a full-back, either side by trade, but can play in multiple positions and will be a great utility player. That was something we didn’t really have a lot of.

“Then we add in Sarah Smith who is currently taking her Level 2 coaching badge and will be involved with the girls, coaching the teams. She has a super left foot and will bring great balance to the team because the left foot is something we are not blessed with. She can run all day, has huge energy, great tenacity and will be another tremendous signing for this season.

“Last but not least we mustn’t forget Taylor Beales who suffered with health problems at the end of last season and has just signed for the club. Only 18 years’ old, she tackles like a rock, she is an absolute brute force and with some work she has great potential which can be unlocked.”

“If a team isn’t aspiring to win the league then I think there’s a problem, full stop.” – Grant Fisher, Buckland LFC Manager and Director of Ladies and Girls Football

On the subject of potential, Buckland are about more than the headline-grabbing first team with a development team and rapidly growing youth section adding strength and stability to the club. The development team had a fine season last year, winning the Devon FA Women’s Supplementary Cup and finishing runners-up in the Devon Women’s League Premier Division. The under-13s (moving up to under-14s) won the Devon Girl’s League and cup double with a 100% record and have now entered the Pioneer Youth League which, until now, has featured boys’ teams only.

“We never envisioned that it would come to this stage so quickly,” said Fisher. “It’s been an absolute rollercoaster and we learn every day about what we are doing, about things that should be done and what’s right and what’s not.

“The first team’s rise has been tremendous. They are the flagship for our club. They are the ones that everyone sees in the limelight.

“The development team this year, I think, will be the strongest they have ever been. They had a super result against St. Nicholas Reserves, beating them 7-0. I know that Al and Nyssa have done a super job and I think they are going to be real contenders to get promoted into the South West Women’s Football League Division One.

“The youth section speaks for itself. We have now got six county players at under-14 level out of 14 girls which is truly outstanding. They all deserve it, they have all worked hard and even those who didn’t get in are super talents who have stuck together through thick and thin. They will embark on a terribly tough journey as they go into the Pioneer League. It is a brave one which will develop them as players. We are hugely proud that they are willing to go and take on that challenge but they will become far greater players no matter what anyone may think.

“As for the under-12s, I’ve watched them many times and I love what Mark is doing with that team. I think they play some super football at times. I think they have some enthusiastic, tremendously good players who have got so much potential. They are infectious, they are hungry and they make you have a smile on your face every time you watch them.

“As for the under-10s, we’ll soon see what’s to come. We have super coaching staff in place, loads of girls wanting to join already and I don’t see why they won’t become another huge part of this family that we’ve got at this club.”

This bodes well for the long-term future of the club as a force in the ladies’ game but what of their short-term potential? Plymouth Argyle made the step up to the third tier of the women’s pyramid and now stand on the fringe of the Women’s Super League itself. Could Fisher’s side follow the Pilgrims into the National League Southern Division by achieving promotion at their first attempt?

“If a team isn’t aspiring to win the league then I think there’s a problem, full stop, whether you think you’re the best or worst team,” said Fisher. “We will strive to be at the top of the league. We have a tremendously difficult opening fixture against a team which is tipped to win the league purely because of their budget. They have the ability to bring in much higher quality players. In our squad, we only have six players who have ever played at this level in their careers.

“For us, it’s a much bigger challenge but I know what’s in my dressing room and I know that this team can get promoted if it wants to do it. There is no doubt about it.”