Edinburgh University in ‘good shape’ but boss Dorian Ogunro is braced for gruelling season of 60 matches

Edinburgh University boss Dorian Ogunro expects his side to fulfil somewhere in the region of 60 matches this season.

Edinburgh University manager Dorian Ogunro

With the addition of Rangers and Celtic's B sides for the 2021/2022 Lowland League campaign, each club will play 32 league matches as the race for promotion to the SPFL intensifies.

However, with BUCS fixtures (midweek university games) thrown into the mix, not to mention cup competitions, Ogunro is predicting a hectic schedule.

And although he is honest enough to admit the students are unlikely to be competing at the top end of Scottish football's fifth tier, he remains optimistic ahead of Saturday's opener against Broomhill at East Peffermill.

“I've got pretty much the same squad we have had the last few years so the positive is they're growing up and getting a lot stronger," he said.

“We've always had a good team of young players but they can struggle at times in the Lowland League.

“But we've got a good group and I'm hoping with that bit more experience under their belts it will stand them in good stead.

“I feel we're in a much better place than we were at this stage last season so hopefully that will translate to results on the pitch.

“We started back as soon as we were given the go ahead, so around late April/early May.

“We've been building up slowly because thinking ahead, there are 32 league games before you even touch any of the cups.

“We will also have between 15 and 20 BUCS games so that is a lot of football. But, of course, it is great to be back playing again."

Ogunro added: “We want to prove that we deserve a spot in the Lowland League. We still need more quality, there's no disputing that.

“Even the games we did manage to play last season, and despite the results, we played really well but lacked quality in the key areas.

"We will keep pushing our boundaries to as far as they can go, but the quality of the league just keeps improving all the time, particularly the budgets."

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