I don't know what I'm expecting at Corinthian, admits Lordswood boss Jason Lillis

The Southern Counties East Football League campaign gets underway underneath the lights in front of a large crowd at Gay Dawn Farm.

Corinthian finished in the top five last season under Matt Longhurst as well as finishing runners-up in the League Cup for the third season on the bounce.

But the club have no players left from last year and have appointed James Collins, 31, as their new manager after Longhurst took charge of relegated Erith & Belvedere.

Collins has only enticed three players with him from Sutton Athletic, where he guided the Hextable-based club to third-place in the Kent Invicta League last season as well as winning two pieces of silverware.

Grant Brown, Richie Humphries and Tom Fitzgerald will be playing for Corinthian this season.

“I don’t know what I’m expecting,” admitted Lillis.

“I don’t know what they’re about this year. It’s going to see how they are. We know how we’re going to set up and then we just have to take it from there.

“I don’t know what we’re expecting. If they’re like past years they should be a good side.

“It should be an entertaining game.”

“I haven’t been to any of their games or anything, so I’m not sure of their players’ at all.

“They’re unknown to me. I’m more worried about what we do really than anything else.

“Hopefully we set up well and we get a win.”

Reflecting on pre-season, Lillis said: “Pre-season’s been great. We’ve trained really hard. We’ve levelled it out to a stage where we’ve picked them and we’re ready to go.  We’re training tonight and I think pre-season has been really good.

“The boys’ have been biting at the bit for a week and a half now so hopefully they can put all their energy and excitement into tomorrow night rather than wasting it so hopefully they’ll be raring to go.”

Friday night games at this level attract the home club’s largest gate of the season and the Southern Counties East Football League should arrange more games at the start of the weekend to pull in the crowds.

“There’s nothing else on a Friday night,” said Lillis.

“I expect a few managers to be there to watch both sides probably and people who generally watch football matches.

“It will be nice for Corinthian to get a good start and a nice crowd behind them and hopefully it will be a nice evening.”

So what can we expect from Lordswood on Friday night?

Lillis said: “My sides always work hard, they always have done. We get the ball down, we pass it and try and play and try and do the right things.

“The best thing is if we can compete and the boys give me 100%. I can’t really ask for much more than that so I’m asking for the boys to compete and just put a performance on.”

Lillis is delighted that there are 38 league games this season due to the fact that four more teams have joined the league this season.

Croydon have switched from the Combined Counties League to return to the League and Crowborough Athletic and Lingfield make their first appearance after joining from the Sussex County League.

Erith & Belvedere return after a miserable one and only campaign in the Ryman League, where they finished rock bottom in Division One North.

“I think that’s good in a way because there were some weeks where you weren’t getting a game,” said Lillis.

“It’s good especially if you love football because playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday is great. It’s proper League football.  Once you get consistency, when you play more games right after each other. It seems to bode well for teams who are doing well, but I’m not too sure if it comes too quickly for teams not doing too well.

“If you’re on a run you want to keep playing. When games are coming fast and furious it’s good, it keeps your momentum going.”

The Lords finished in eleventh-place last season and when asked his aspirations for the season ahead, Lillis, as ever, kept his cards close to his chest.

“You know me, I don’t give too much away!

“As long as we compete and we put a honest performance in week in week out then I’ll see where it takes us from there.”

Visit Lordswood’s website:  www.lordswoodfc.co.uk