King’s Lynn Town kick off their new season on Saturday without the services of last season’s deadliest striker – but still with plenty of firepower.
Jonny Margetts sits out the visit of Warrington Town as well as next weekend’s trip to Alfreton after his red card in the final game of last season.
Margetts scored nine goals in just 14 starts last season – but manager Adam Lakeland has a stronger looking squad this time around, with Bart Cybulski and the returning Gold Omotayo both eager to lay down some early markers.
Behind them, Lakeland – whose team scored 25 times in nine pre-season games - sees good attacking support.
“We've got players who can score goals,” said Lakeland. “I think there was too much reliance last season on us scoring from set-plays or through Jonny, but if you look at us now, we've got legs and energy and pace right across the pitch.
“You’ve obviously got goals with Jonny, Bart, Gold, Ross (Crane) is a threat, and young Finn (Whiteley) has done tremendously well in pre-season as well, he's a threat when he comes on the pitch.
“The lads from midfield, Josh (McCammon) and Josh (Hmami), they're adventurous, they want to get forward, they want to break lines, they want to try and chip in with goals and be creative.
“And obviously we've still got that threat from set-plays. So we've got goals in us right across the team and that's going to be really important this season.”
Pointing out the scoring alternatives is not a blasé attempt to deflect from Margetts’ absence – the 30-year-old is a proven, experienced performer at this level.
“Jonny's not only a goal scorer, but he's a leader,” said Lakeland. “He works tirelessly every time he's on the pitch, he applies himself so well day-to-day in training and when he's on the pitch he leads from the front through his work rate and the demands that he puts on others.
“I think any team is going to miss Jonny, because he's a goal scorer, but as a club that wants to do well this season, we can't be reliant on one goal scorer.
“We need multiple sources of goals and obviously we've got Gold and Bart and we've got other players as well who I think can chip in with goals.”
Omotayo rounded off his pre-season with a hat-trick in the 4-0 win over Luton Under-21s at the weekend.
“I thought all three of his goals were brilliant goals,” Lakeland said. “And we're only going to keep on getting better as the season goes along, because we've got to remember we have got a lot of new players in the team and that understanding of playing to one another’s strengths is only going to keep on getting better the more games that we play together – and long may that continue.”
Lynn’s pre-season suggests the baggage of last season’s relegation scrap has been shed, although Lakeland knows the pitfalls ahead.
“If you have a bad start, you're back in a scrap aren’t you? It's up to us, just like every other team will be saying, we want to get off to a decent start, but games at our level are really tough and every single game is going to be difficult. But I think we've got a decent side together now that will compete in every game and we've got goals in us, which will see us have a chance of getting points in a lot of games. We're as fit as I believe we can be. The confidence and the togetherness in the group is as strong as I believe it can be at this moment in time and the only way that can be enhanced is through winning games of football. That's what we'll be aiming to do come Saturday.”
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