Luton Town Ladies hotshot Dionne Manning is confident the team can bounce back to the National Leagues at the first time of asking this term.
The Hatters suffered an agonising relegation from the FA Women’s Premier League, Division 1 South East, the second tier of the women’s football pyramid.
Tomorrow they begin their promotion push at Peterborough Northern Star Ladies (2pm) in the Eastern Region Women’s Football League, where entry to the Branch Bros Stadium is free.
Striker Manning bagged a brace as Luton signed off on their pre-season campaign last weekend with a 6-1 victory over Lancing Ladies and she said of the coming campaign: “I’m positive that we will do well and we will go back up, because we have got a strong squad.
“It was difficult being relegated because it’s not a league we’re used to playing in.
“We kind of got accustomed to being in the National League, so it’s a shock to our system, as well as the management, but pre-season has been going well.
“It’s holiday time, so we’ve been missing players here and there, so I don’t think we’ve had the first team out together fully in a pre-season fixture, but we’ve done well in a few games and have won convincingly. We’ve started to link-up well and combine.”
Manning, who has set up a crowdfunder to help pay the Ladies subs for the season, was one of a number of Hatters that will return to try to rectify last season’s relegation.
But the Ladies’ manager Nikki Baker has also been busy this summer signing new players, ones that Manning says they’ve, “wanted to get for a little while.”
The former Tottenham forward added: “We’ve got Elly Wade who has come over from Dunstable, but she’s played for Luton before. Tanya Blacksley who’s played at Stevenage and Dunstable. They’ve got experience in their position and pretty decent players.”
Boss Baker posted about the defenders on Twitter, writing: ‘I am delighted to sign Tanya and Elly. They are players I’ve been wanting to sign for a while and they give us a huge lift this season.’
Scottish youth international midfielder Kelsey Gibson and Leah Tomlin have also signed while striker Bex Kane returns to the club, and Millie Coleman, Shannon Pugh and Chinu Ayton all make the switch from Flitwick.
Along with Manning, club captain Zara Carroll committed to the team again as has Erica Byron, top goalscorer Rachel Carter, player of the year Jess McKay, goalkeeper Kezia Hassall, Rebecca Ferris, Olivia Abraham, Leyah Maddox, Funmi Babalola, Kim Newns and Kiki Chistofi.
Baker tweeted: ‘Having so many key senior players stay this season is brilliant as it show they want to stick together and fight to get – promoted.’
They club’s under-13 side are also holding open trials for new players.
