Jewson/Hellenic Bennett expects Avonmouth to be pushing for the play-offs

VONMOUTH’S ambitious manager Ashley Bennett admits he is driven now by a hunger to turn the club he loves into a true Jewson Premier Division force.

- Simon PARKINSON

While offering no bold promises where their prospects of achieving promotion to the top tier this time around are concerned, Bennett is adamant he has compiled a squad capable of “at least” pushing for the Division One playoffs, pointing to the start they have made to their 2025-26 undertakings as evidence of that potential.

Avonmouth have won four, drawn two and been beaten only by fellow high-fliers Bristol Telephones, 3-2 on their Stockwood Lane travels, heading into tomorrow’s away day with Odd Down.

“We've started well and I've not been quiet about the fact I want us to have a positive season,’ said Bennett. “We finished 15th last season and bettering that has to be the bare minimum. That said it’s in my DNA to want more than that; I want us challenging for a place in the playoffs, and if we can maintain a two-point-per-game average over our 42 fixtures, that should do it.

“I went hard at it over the summer bringing in players I felt could strengthen us and retained everyone I wanted to keep, lads like Josh Pearce, Charlie Aldom, Alfie Taylor, George Brown, Mitch Wise and Theo Thordarson.”

Far from content to maintain the status quo, Bennett successfully reached out for his “No 1 summer target,” ‘keeper Kyreese Johnson from Cribbs, who he'd managed during his brief spell in charge at the Lawns last season.

Adaptable defensive midfielder Lynford Bhebhe and_right-back Gerlando Parrinello were drafted in from Cribbs Reserves; Tristan Taylor-Morgan and Saul Lewis, a centre-half and central midfielder, respectively, signed on from Hallen, as did another onetime Hallen man, wide attacker Ethan McMahon, who's hit the ground running with four goals thus far and has “been exceptional,” according to his delighted new manager.