Browse Sections

• Salford City Reds
• Local football
• Local cricket

Lions ready to roar

Liam Chronnell
10/ 2/2005

PAUL Kidd believes Swinton's decision to play just one warm-up game has been fully justified.

A few eyebrows were raised when the Lions coach said the National League Two club would not play another friendly after their encounter with Salford six weeks ago.

But, ahead of Sunday's opening Northern Rail Cup encounter with Rochdale at Park Lane, Kidd will have the luxury of choosing from virtually his full-strength squad.

Only Dave Llewellyn is unavailable, the centre will find out whether he needs a shoulder operation this week which would rule him out of the Cup competition.

And Kidd is convinced his new-look team will benefit from an injury-free pre-season.

"It's the main reason we only played one pre-season friendly," said Kidd, who expects a tough game from a National League One side featuring former Swinton players Tommy Hodgkinson, Lee Hanson and Andy Leathem.

"We are going into this competition at full strength and looking to improve on last season. With a little bit of luck through the competition we should be 100 per cent match fit for the start of the league (against York on March 28).

"Training couldn't have gone better and my players are chomping at the bit."

Drawn in a group with Oldham and Blackpool, formerly Chorley, the Swinton boss knows his side face a tough test. But, as with last year, Kidd's main focus will be on the league.

"If you ask any coach in the division I think they would tell you the league is the most important thing," he added. "All the players will get an opportunity to play at some point and stake a claim."

Danny Heaton will make his first competitive start since chipping his kneecap bone on Good Friday last year, but there will be no Peter Cannon after the skipper failed to agree a new deal with the club.