BUCKLAND Athletic manager Paul Froude has made the most of the Western League’s curtailment by taking an early look at some young players.

The Bucks were ninth in the table when the season was curtailed, having won six and drawn three of their 15 games.

Rather than waiting until pre-season starts in June, Froude and his management team have been able to get a head start on preparations on what the boss hopes will be his first full campaign in charge.

‘We made the decision to get the lads back at the start of April, and to a man they were all up for it,’ he explained this week.

‘Lee Hobbs at Plymouth Parkway asked if we could play a friendly against them ahead of their FA Vase game, and we had a couple of other matches pencilled in as well.

‘As soon as the season was curtailed I thought it would be best to take the opportunity to look ahead and get a few players in.’

Notable among the friendly clashes was the 3-1 win away at Elmore, during which former Bovey Tracey and Newton Abbot Spurs midfielder Cieran Bridger scored a hat-trick.

Froude used that final game of the mini-programme to give some senior players a rest and try out some younger bodies.

‘The squad’s average age in the Elmore game must have been around 18 or 19 years old,’ he explained.

‘It was great to get a look at some players from colleges or who had been released from professional clubs, which was the whole point of the exercise really.

‘We saw players like Alex Moyse, who was really liked at Exeter City but for whatever reason didn’t secure a professional contract. I understand he’s now impressing at Torquay.

‘Then we finished after the Elmore game with a training session, and I basically told the lads I’d see them in mid-June.’

Froude also explained his close relationship with reserve team manager Marc Revell, and hopes it will lead to more players progressing through the club to first team level.

‘Marc and I played together in our younger days and we still get on really well,’ he said. ‘We have a really good relationship and we talk a lot about the young players he wants to push on to the first team.’

The new make-up of the Western League was rolled out on Tuesday, with six clubs – including Ilfracombe Town and Saltash United – coming up from Step Six.

A top six finish was the aim for Buckland in the ultimately abandoned 2020/21 campaign. Froude still sees that as a realistic target for next season, but he certainly won’t be complacent when it comes to playing newly-promoted teams.

‘It would be easy to underestimate some of the new teams in the division, so I’m very conscious of not falling into that trap,’ he said.

‘From my time at Newton Spurs, I know how hard it is to go away and win at places like Ilfracombe, Millbrook and Saltash.

‘Helston and Mousehole are both fair old treks, too, so although we’ve probably become a bit more centrally located there will still be a fair few miles to cover.’