AN injection of youth into Vickerstown’s first team has proven reinvigorating for Dave Round’s side and helped them pick up some eye-catching results in the early weeks of the West Lancashire League Premier Division season.

Long-serving boss Round persuaded Furness Cavaliers trio Kyle Delves, Macauley Woods and Ryan Rodgers to step up two divisions over the summer, along with bringing through several members of the club’s own under-16s and reserves.

Round is conscious of the need to bring those players along slowly, but is in no doubt their presence has given a boost to the more established members of Vickerstown’s squad.

“We’re just feathering them in at the moment and giving them 20 minutes here and there, but I’ve got no qualms about putting them in,” said Round.

“I don’t want to throw them in at the deep end, but looking forward to the second half of the season and next year, we should have a good future because we’ve got good lads coming through.

“It’s quite difficult to get lads to come and play at this level, whether they don’t want to travel or they don’t want to play at this level because they’re in a bit of a comfort zone.

“But we’ve got a few who are mixing with the players we already had and it seems to have rejuvenated them because we’ve got a good backbone.”

Round has looked to add experience to the squad as well, with former Barrow AFC and Lancaster City winger Mike Rushton joining up and scoring twice in the recent 4-1 win at Tempest United.

That was followed by a stunning 7-1 win away to Coppull United last Saturday, lifting the team which finished 13th out of 16 teams in last season’s Premier Division up to fourth in early 2018-19 standings.

A win on the road at mid-table Burscough Richmond tomorrow would make it four wins in a row following the traditional patchy start caused by holidays, injury and suspensions.

And Round would welcome a repeat of the display at Coppull, which came despite having several absentees.

“It was just one of those games where everything went in and the forward play was excellent with one and two-touch stuff, and good finishing,” said Round.

“We had three or four missing last week as well, so that was even better.

“It’s the same tomorrow, but we’ve got a bigger squad now. It’s looking healthy at the moment and everybody is training.

“We’ve gone back to old values of everybody has to train and we’re getting 30-odd there, so it’s looking positive around the club.”

Saturday's fixtures

North West Counties League First Division North: Holker Old Boys v Longridge Town.

West Lancashire League Premier Division: Burscough Richmond v Vickerstown.

West Lancashire League Division One: CMB v Crooklands Casuals, Lostock v Askam Unitd, Millom v Eagley, Stoneclough v Hawcoat Park, GSK Ulverston Rangers v Wyre Villa.

West Lancashire League Division Two: Furness Rovers v Dalton United, Horwich St Marys v Furness Cavaliers, Walney Island v Galgate.