BULLY WEE CAN DEAL WITH HEAT

LEAGUE TWO

DANNY LENNON insists Clyde can cope with the pressure of being one of the title favourites this season.

The Bully Wee boss is convinced his squad has the quality to mount a challenge for the crown.

And he’s determined to start with an opening-day win over last season’s bottom club Cowdenbeath.

Lennon said: “There’s this optimism and expectation at the club that has been missing for years and that shows we’re making progress.

“We still have a lot of hard work ahead and we’ve not achieved anything yet.

“The bookies have us as second favourites to win the league but that means nothing and I certainly expect us to improve on last season.

“I would see Peterhead and Stirling Albion as main rivals for the league title and promotion. Add to that the two clubs coming down from the league above (Queen’s Park and Albion Rovers).

“You can see it’s going to be a highly competitive and certainly interesting season ahead.”

Lennon has managed to keep star striker David Goodwillie and is pleased with the additions he has made to his squad.

He said: “We’ve assembled an exciting squad with genuine competition for every position and the capability to achieve promotion. The vast majority of the squad consists of the personnel that performed so well in the second half of last season.

“Promotion would be a tremendous leap forward and that has to be our focus.”

Cowdenbeath boss Gary Bollan is confident his side won’t be dragged into the play-off battle that has seen them flirt with demotion from the senior set-up in the past two seasons.

He said: “The main objective is to not be languishing down the bottom of the league. With any luck – with the squad we’ve put together – we’ll be hopefully in the top half.

“Come the end of the season that would save us that last-day nervousness of a play-off game.

“The players who have come in have played at the level we’re at. Some have played at a higher level and have good experience.

“They’re good characters in and around the dressing room so they come with the full package.”