MALVERN Town manager Les Jones is challenging his players to match last season’s achievements in the West Midlands League Premier Division.

Jones’s side finished fifth last term and kick off their new league campaign at home to Shropshire side Haughmond tomorrow (3pm).

Town recorded a 2-0 win against Powick in their final warm-up match in midweek before this weekend’s eagerly-anticipated curtain-raiser.

“We’re very excited about the first game but it feels like we are stepping into the unknown,” said Jones.

“During pre-season you tend to think you are going well in certain areas and then you spot something else that you need to deal with.

“We won fairly comfortably on Tuesday night and I was pleased with the overall performance.

“We finished fifth in the league last season and our target this time is to stop in the top five and get a good cup run.

“You just don’t know what you are going to come up against in this league. There tends to be a lot of movement each season with teams and players in the Birmingham and Wolverhampton areas, so we won’t know the strengths until about six games into the new season.”

Town will be without midfielder Reece King, who is suspended for the first three games after being sent-off at the end of last season, Dene Whittal-William is injured, while Bryan Craven has suffered a recurrence of a knee problem, and goalkeeper Charlie Weaver is away on holiday.

Louis Loader is coming back to fitness and Joe Endacott is on his honeymoon in Hawaii.

Jones said: “I have a squad of 21 players and we have around five people missing for Saturday’s game. That’s fairly typical for this time of year. Chris Pinder will be in goal and he’s a very good goalkeeper.

“I would like to pick my strongest squad but we have three games in a week throughout August so the games will be coming thick and fast. Everyone will be getting an opportunity.”

Jones expects a tough test from Haughmond before Town travel to Smethwick Rangers for their second league fixture on Wednesday night (7.45pm).

“We had some tough games against Haughmond last season and they finished just below us in the table. They were decent but we don’t know what squad they have got compared to last season.

“There will be between eight to 12 good sides in the league and I would like to think that we will be one of them,” Jones added.