Matty Grivosti is looking forward to the season ahead after helping the B team end their pre-season programme on a positive note.
The Whites capped off a challenging warm-up programme with a 2-2 draw against a competitive and experienced Warrington Town side.
And although Wanderers were unable to secure a first win – after twice being pegged back by the Northern Premier League club – there were plenty of positives to take away from the game, including Grivosti’s first goal in a Whites’ shirt against his former club.
The 19-year-old, who joined the Whites from Warrington earlier this summer, made his mark in the opening minutes of his return to the Cantilever Stadium with a cool finish.
“You always want to score when you get your chance on the left wing,” said Grivosti, who steered the ball into the bottom corner of the net after a mis-cued clearance by Town keeper Tony Thompson.
“It was good to score, but to get a result would have been even better.
“To get a draw feels like a step in the right direction, though.”
After Grivosti had claimed the Whites’ first goal of pre-season defender Lamine Toure scored a second with the final kick of the first half to put Matt Craddock’s side back in front.
“Once we got the first goal, I think a few lads believed that they would score,” added Grivosti.
“And after the second, we were pushing for more. We felt like we can score. Hopefully, we’ll get more goals in the league.”
The B team starts their Central League campaign in the middle of the month, with their final warm-up game proving a confidence-boosting result for a young squad which has been built over the summer to begin to bridge the gap between Academy and first-team football.
“Pre-season has been great. I’ve met a lot of new mates and I’ve just been enjoying it really,” said Grivosti, who moved into full-time football for the first time after combining playing for Warrington with studying at the Robbie Fowler Academy in Liverpool.
“There are some good teams in the league and we’re going to have some tough games this season.
“But I’m looking forward to the season ahead and getting back on our pitch.”