Although Premier Division and FA Cup champions Dandy Town are licking their wounds following last Saturday night?s Charity Cup loss to North Village, club president Cal Blankendal has warned ?don?t count the Hornets out just yet!?.

Blankendal watched as his team went down 2-0 to crosstown rivals Village to set the tone for what promises to be an exciting rematch between the two clubs on September 21 in a Martonmere Cup Group A clash at BAA Field.

While the Western Stars Sports Club chief admitted he was a ?bit disappointed? with the outcome of the match, he pointed out how Town lost their season opener last year but still went on to achieve success.

?I didn?t enjoy losing the match but overall I think we were competitive and last season we lost the first game (Martonmere Cup to Somerset Eagles) but still ended up winning the league and FA Cup. So if I had a choice, I?d rather lose the first game of the season every year if you can guarantee me a league and FA Cup,? he said.

?My hat goes off to Village but I?m sure Devarr (coach Devarr Boyles) and the rest of the team will regroup and this (loss) will give us a good chance to find out where we are as an organisation ? both on and off the field ? before we can go ahead and show everyone we can still compete.?

With urban clubs again expected to dominate the local football scene, Blankendal is bracing himself for a ?very tough? season.

Village have already demonstrated they will be no pushovers this campaign while Devonshire Cougars and Boulevard have each had their ranks bolstered by the arrival of new players.

?Whichever team works the hardest and stays together will likely be victorious,? he added. ?I?m pretty sure we will be among the top two teams in the league but at the end of the day nobody really knows who is going to win.

?This season is going to be very tough given some of the changes which have taken place over the summer. Andrew Bascome is back (coaching at Cougars) and Dennis Brown (Somerset Trojans coach) has picked up a few players from Somerset Eagles. So I think it?s going to be a good season for the fans and as long as everybody continues to come to enjoy the game then football will be back on the up.?

However, Town, facing three matches over the next ten days, will have to pick themselves up quickly.

?I think our main objective at the moment is to ensure the team remains focused over the course of the upcoming season,? said Blankendal. ?The Charity Cup is important, it?s the season opener. But you have to remember that ? even though the players were playing for a trophy which is significant and for a good cause ? as long as both teams and their supporters enjoyed the football on the night and money was donated to a worthy cause, then I think everyone was a winner.?

When asked why coach Boyles opted to bench several key players instead of fielding his strongest eleven from the outset, Blankendal replied: ?I can?t speak for the coach and what we did last Saturday is now in the past. We now have a new crop of players in addition to last season?s veterans and the coach and technical director (Wayne Baxter) will continue to decide who plays every match.?

Town?s strong bench contained seven players, among them Jared Peniston and last season?s FA Cup hero David Lawler, who both came on as substitutes. Making debuts in a Town jersey were Ottis Steede and Ernest Signor.

Blankendal is wary every club will be gunning for Hornets this campaign as is traditionally the case for teams considered as the league?s top dogs.

?Everyone knows if you have a successful season then the next one everyone is coming for you,? he said. ?Village have been successful for the last three years in which they have been put to the test and if we are to be considered as true champions then we will have to come out and compete in every game and try to get as many victories under our belts as possible.

?If you want to be considered as a big team and a big club, then you have to achieve big things.?