Gregg wants Wakehurst to defy odds

The Ballymena side has been a regular top-half finisher in the third tier of Northern Irish football in recent seasons, despite the handicap of having to play all their home games outside Ballymena due to the lack of a suitable Championship-standard venue in the borough.

“Last year we showed plenty of talent and ability but a lack of consistency was our biggest failing,” Gregg told Times Sport.

“If we could sort that side of things out, I’ve no doubt we have the ability to be among the top four or five teams in this league but there are a lot of good teams in this division, many of them with greater resources than we have.”

It has been a quiet summer for the club with no new arrivals, with the club once again looking to draw on one of its main strengths, a close-knit, community-type feel with virtually all of the squad being Ballymena-based.

“I spoke to Paul Muir, who would have been a fantastic signing for us with his quality and experience, but he has opted to stay at Harland & Wolff Welders for another year.

“I also spoke to some players from Saturday Morning League clubs but I wasn’t able to dislodge them from their current clubs.

“I was also offered the services of some others players but I didn’t feel they were any better than what we already have.”

Instead, Wakehurst’s squad will be boosted by the return of a number of players already on the club’s books but who missed large chunks of the season through injury, including Ricky Mellon, Ryan Gregg, Lee McCaughern and Ricky Culbertson.

Midfielder Andy Laughlin’s return from a year spent in New Zealand as part of his studies is another plus for Gregg, who hopes to retain the services of free-scoring strike partnership Conor Gregg and Jason Paul, who have attracted interest from Premiership and Championship One clubs.

Wakehurst open their league campaign this Saturday with a ‘home’ game against their landlords Moyola Park at Castledawson (3pm).

Elsewhere at the club, Andy Blackadder has taken over the running of Wakehurst’s Saturday Morning League side Wakehurst Star, with the aim of developing players to progress to the club’s first team.