“Valuable step in our preparation” Davies happy with Longlevens despite Severn Sport Shield defeat
Newly appointed Longlevens Co-Manager Buster Davies says he was happy with his side’s display in their Severn Sport Shield Semi Final on Wednesday night, despite going down 5-2 against Bishops Cleeve.
Longlevens took an early lead but after Cleeve stormed back to take a 3-1 lead, Brad Martin reduced arrears before half time – however Cleeve would pull away in a tough second half.
After the game, Davies admits there were plenty of positives to take although he was disappointed with the goals that were conceded in the game.
“It was always going to be a tough test, and I thought we did ok overall,” said Davies. “We definitely got ourselves into some dangerous positions and caused them a few issues, which is encouraging.
Bishops Cleeve are arguably favourites for the title in the league above, and they showed last night just how solid and clinical they are.
That said, for us to score two goals and really, it could’ve been a couple more against a side that kept 27 clean sheets last season shows we’re definitely moving in the right direction.
The goals we conceded were soft, and I’d like to think in a more competitive setting those mistakes are easily avoidable, I believe they had five shots on target and scored all five, which just shows how ruthless they can be.
But overall there were plenty of positives to take, and it’s another valuable step in our preparation,” Davies added.
The Semi Final was only Longlevens’ second pre-season friendly and with new management in place, it gave Davies a chance to field a number of trialists as he continues to piece together his squad for the 2025/26 Hellenic Premier season.
With the Third Place Play-off against Fairford on Saturday and a number of tough pre-season tests to come, Davies says each game is a chance to try out different things and learn what his players are capable of on the pitch.
“It’s massive to get minutes into the new lads during pre-season. These games are crucial for us to see how they settle in not just in terms of ability, but how they gel with the group, how they react under pressure, and how they take on information,” said Davies.
“It gives us a chance to try different things and get a look at players in various roles, and start building those relationships on the pitch.
It’s also important for their fitness and confidence. Some of them haven’t played much over the summer, so getting that sharpness back is key. Overall, it’s a really important part of the process, and we’re learning more about them with each game,” Davies added.
Davies was appointed Co-Manager over the summer, following Michael Palmer and Craig Martin’s resignations and will hold the post with Pete Boyle, who joins the First Team having been with Longlevens’ Reserves side last season.
The two managers are joined by Kane Winman as goalkeeper coach, after he was forced to call time on his career due to injury and Jake Edwards, who joins as First Team Coach.
With the new look-management in place, Davies believes the Management team can benefit the playing group as he targets for Longlevens to build on a strong end to the season.
“I’m really excited to be working alongside Pete this season,” said Davies.
We’re on the same wavelength with how we see the game, and I think we balance each other well. It’s a great partnership and I’m confident it’ll benefit the group.
We’ve also welcomed Jake Edwards to the Management Team and his impact has already been nothing short of exceptional. He’s a fantastic addition and is already making a strong mark.
Plus with Kane still around, he is a familiar face for the lads and will be a big asset to the Management team going forward.
As for targets, we want to be competitive every week. We’re looking to improve every aspect of our game and we’re not going to put a ceiling on what we can achieve, but the aim is to keep improving, build some consistency, and push ourselves as high up the table as possible.
We’ve got a good group here plenty of quality and character so if we stick to our principles and keep working hard, there’s no reason we can’t have a really positive season,” Davies added.
Longlevens are back in action on Saturday 12 July, when they face Fairford Town in the Severn Sport Shield Third Place Play-off; kick off at the TigerTurf Stadium; 12:00
Cover photo taken and copyright Jamie Brain Photography. Visit his Instagram @jamiebrain_photography
