Ottery St Mary boss Mike Dawe is quietly confident about the season ahead.

However, he is guarded about making any bold – and rash – predictions!

He says: “You’ll not get me singing and shouting about how we are going to take Division Five by storm!

Far from it, indeed, I see this season as one that is going to be much harder than last time round. Last season there were two or three teams who were in the shake-up for honours all the way through the campaign, but this time round I think we’ll see there are many more teams involved.

Would I like us to be part of it – of course. There’s no point us even starting the season unless we are going to be positive about it. However, at this stage I’m looking for a top six place. Top three and promotion is of course the ultimate target and indeed wish, but we have to be realistic and accept that we may well not be the top side as we were last season.

“That said, I am happy to repeat my feelings of 12 months ago.

“We are on a journey here at Ottery St Mary, a journey that I sincerely hope takes this club to a much higher level of football.

“We have endured a difficult pre-season on and off the pitch, but all that is behind us now and the time has come for us to get down to the business of winning football matches.

“I think we’ll be OK and, once again, I’ll say with confidence that if it does not work out how we hoped it will not be for the want of trying.”