Harleston Magpies manager John Adams sees potential in this season’s squad following draw against Surbiton II

Harleston Magpies Ladies manager John Adams believes this season’s squad has the potential to be better than his side that finished fifth in the Vitality Women’s England Hockey League Division 1 South last term.

Over the summer, Magpies lost three ‘key players’. Goalkeeper Georgia Flatt departed for university, vice captain Hannah De Selincourt moved to Germany to pursue indoor hockey and England Under-21 international Anna Cogdell left for America.

But Adams has welcomed Jess Bloom - who rejoins after two-and-a-half years away - and Sarah Brook back to the club and has also been boosted by the return of Ella Pickton, who spent the majority of last season out with a concussion injury.

There has also been a reshuffle in the coaching department, as Adnan Zakir, who was appointed as head coach at the beginning of last season, has taken a job in Germany and has been replaced by Simon Letchford, who also heads the ladies’ development programme at the club.

“It (the squad) looks really exciting and promising,” said Adams. “We’ve lost a lot of players but we’ve also gained some top players in their place.

“I think the new squad will be equal to or potentially better than last year’s squad. There’s strength in depth in who we’ve signed and who has come back.

“I like to hope we’re going to be top four (in the table). That would be quite a good achievement from where we were at the start of last season.”

Magpies rose to the challenge of hosting reigning champions Surbiton II on Saturday, as they held their opponents to a 1-1 draw.

Olivia Williams gave Harleston the lead 24 minutes into the contest but the Magpies could not hold on, as the visitors levelled proceedings with 15 minutes remaining.

“Against last year’s league winners, we were quite happy to get a point at the end of the day,” said Adams.

“Any point against a club like Surbiton is a good point, and actually, and more importantly, the girls played really well.

“It’s early days. We’ve got lots of new players, as always, and they gelled really well.

“It was a pretty good start to the season.

“It’s not going to happen overnight and it’s going to take a few games for it all to fall into place, but Saturday was a very promising start.”

As well as the players Adams has welcomed to the club, retaining the services of England Under-18s international Beth Gardens, who has also trained with England’s Under-21s, is as important as a new signing.

The midfielder will go head to head against her sister, Georgie, tomorrow as Magpies travel to University of Exeter Women (12pm).

“When you go to any university side, particularly sides like Exeter, their training programme is almost a professional one,” said Adams.

“It’s not surprising that they look good and know what they’re doing. It’s always going to be a really tough game because they’re used to playing together a lot more than we are at this junction in time.”

Meanwhile, Harleston Magpies Men’s I were edged out 4-3 in their Men’s England Hockey League Conference Midlands curtain-raiser at last term’s champions University of Nottingham II on Sunday.

Myles King bagged a brace while Oakley Elsom found the back of the net with one minute of the contest remaining, but Harleston were condemned to an opening-day defeat.

Magpies will look to bounce back in their first home match of the season when they host Cambridge City I on Sunday (2pm).

This weekend’s opponents are also waiting to get off the mark after they were dispatched 5-0 by visiting St Albans in their opener.