Livingston Women's boss 'excited' by milestone moment as club prepare for SWPL2 bow

Livingston Women’s boss Mike Ross admits there’s ‘excitement’ as the club make their SWPL2 bow on Sunday.

But the gaffer warned his players not to get carried away by the occasion.

The Lionesses host Kilmarnock at the Tony Macaroni Arena (4pm kick-off) looking to get their maiden second-tier campaign up and running in style. He knows that won’t be easy but also says they can head into the season full of confidence.

Speaking to the West Lothian Courier, he said: “It’s a big day for the club and an important milestone but we have to make sure we don’t play the occasion and let it get to us, which I’m confident the girls will be able to do.

“We’ve had a decent pre-season and I think we’re all now just ready for the real games to get underway.”

The clash will mark a competitive debut for Ross after he took over from Paul Jaconelli, who elected to stand down following the club’s SWF Championship title-winning campaign last term.

The core of that side remains intact and while there have been a few new additions, Ross is hopeful that the club’s winning mentality can carry on – and stand them in good stead for any challenges that will come their way this season.

He added: “We’ve got a group of players who have experienced winning and plenty who have lots of experience playing within this division and know the standards needed.

“It’s a really competitive league and going into the season, I really don’t think anyone can predict any outcomes because it’s going to be such a tight league. All the teams seem to be fairly well matched and I don’t see there being many high-scoring wins for anyone.”

He added: “It’s good for the league that it’s unpredictable and hopefully that leads to plenty of excitement.

“But for us, the message