Ford confident Puritans can cope at next level

Ford is adamant he will stick with his style of play despite the challenge of competing at the next level. The Puritans have not enjoyed a good season in the premier division for some time but Ford feels he can achieve that, playing the right way.

He said: “It’s been a quieter summer for me because I’ve been happy with the squad I’ve got from last season. I don’t think there is a need for change.

“We’re not going to dominate possession like we did last season so we’ve got to do better with the ball and, more importantly, without it. That’s what I’ve been concentrating on in training, making us difficult to break down.

“Technically, my players will be as good as any team in this division. But we’ve got to be up for every game – Saturdays and Tuesdays – and if we do that then we’ll be fine.”

“The one fear is it might all fall apart but I think we’re good enough and I want us to finish as high as we can. We’ll have a much smaller budget than a lot of other teams but that’s not stopped me in the past.

“We’ve got a good committee, great support and we’ve got to keep the bandwagon rolling.”