ARGYLE Ladies look set to continue where they left off last season after a successful pre-season programme and a re-shuffle behind the scenes as they look to embark on another quest to gain promotion to the National Women's Premier Leagues.

After their double cup-winning success last season, and their second successive runners-up finish in the SW Women's Combination League, the Pilgrims have not rested on their laurels, and have been working hard to put the systems in place to create a winning environment.

Perhaps the most significant news was last season's manager Ryan Thomas relinquishing his role as first-team manager in order to move into a new Director of Football role at the club as part of a re-structure of the coaching team.

Thomas will now have a wider remit at the club which will involve advice and assistance to coaches and players in both the first and reserve teams, player recruitment and development, and aiding the marketing and promotion of the club. The result of this sees former assistant-manager Kev Rose step into the managerial hot seat with one brief - deliver the SW Combination League Championship and the one promotion place to the FA Premier Leagues.

Rose has wasted no time in assembling his backroom team which includes Clive Roberts, Chris Benham and local football living legend Pete Distin. The reserve team will once again be led by Tom Legg and Andy Hughes, with Mike Charlick coming on board as the club's new fitness and conditioning coach.

Rose said: "I am delighted to take over the reigns and feel that it is a good move for me at this stage of my development. I know a lot of the girls from my time here as reserve-team manager and, more recently, as first-team assistant-manager, so feel that I know what it takes to mould a successful team in women's football.

"What we have now is very much a coaching team, with many individuals with specific areas of expertise, and we are all very confident that this will create a winning mentality amongst the players.

"We did well last season, but we have to gain promotion this season in order to retain the services of our best players and get this club where we feel it deserves to be. We will be doing everything we can to achieve our aim and we're looking forward to getting started."

Work for the ambitious Pilgrims started way back in the first week of July where a gruelling seven-week pre-season training programme was initiated. In addition to structured, but physically demanding, sessions, the club have enjoyed some notable pre-season results against higher-ranked opponents.

An encouraging 3-1 loss to Premier Division side Bristol Academy was followed by a good 2-1 away win against Premier South Division side, and bitter local rivals, Truro City (formerly Newquay). A youthful side then dispatched Axminster Town 21-1 in a one-sided contest, before a full first-team squad played the club's own reserve side over the weekend as a final, last-minute, preparation because of their first league game being cancelled because of Team Bath's reluctance to fulfil the fixture. The first team coming out on top by seven goals to nil.

After a turbulent 2007-08 campaign, the reserve team have been showing some encouraging signs of progress and look set to enjoy a far more successful year. Before a useful workout against the first-team squad, impressive performances enabled them to defeat Truro City reserves and Dawlish Town, with many of the club's new crop of graduates from the Centre of Excellence drawing particular praise.

After coming so close last season, it seems that everything is geared towards achieving success in another tough campaign this season. The first team will once again play their games at Bolitho Park, with the reserve team now plying their trade at Callington Town. All players and staff would welcome your support. For information on fixture dates, opposition and kick-off times, please visit www.palfc.org.uk.