CAPTAIN Sahara Osborne-Ricketts is full of optimism about Oxford United’s prospects ahead of the start of their second FA Women’s Super League 2 campaign.

The U’s kick off the new season this evening, hosting Watford at Abingdon United’s Northcourt Road, and Osborne-Ricketts can’t wait to get back in action.

“We’re all really excited,” she said.

“It’s been a long wait, so we’re all desperate to get out there again and play some games.

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“We know what the league’s about now and we know what to expect, so we’re looking forward to it.”

United struggled to make the step up in their WSL 2 debut last year, finishing just four points ahead of bottom side London Bees.

However, the centre back is confident they will be a much stronger proposition this season.

She said: “We’ve been going over lots of different drills in training to improve our defensive shape and I think we have a clear idea of our roles.

“I think we’re much more solid this season and hopefully that will give us something to work with, so we can get some more goals at the other end as well.”

Estonian international centre-back Hannaliis Jaadla could make her debut this evening after signing for the club yesterday.

She is the only new addition to the U’s squad this season, but whereas many of Oxford’s competitors have recruited extensively, Osborne-Ricketts feels United will benefit from their stability.

“We would have liked to have signed a couple more to boost the squad,”

she said.

“But I think it is a good thing that we have a settled squad.

“We all get on really well, spirits are high in the camp and we’re just raring to go.”

THIS SEASON’S FIXTURES

MARCH

19 Watford (H), 29 Durham (a).

APRIL

5 Yeovil Town (H), 19 Aston Villa (H), 23 Reading (a).

MAY

10 Durham (H), 17 London Bees (H), 24 Everton (H), 31 Aston Villa (a).

JULY

12 London Bees (a), 19 Doncaster Rovers Belles (H), *23 Yeovil Town (H), 26 Millwall Lionesses (a), *30 Notts County (H).

AUGUST

9 Reading (H), *16 Birmingham City (a), 23 Watford (a), *27 Bristol Academy (a), *30 Aston Villa (H).

SEPTEMBER

6 Millwall Lionesses (H), 27 Yeovil Town (a)

OCTOBER

3 Doncaster Rovers Belles (a), 18 Everton (a)

* = FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup