LES Taylor believes a favourable opening batch of fixtures gives Oxford United Women an opportunity to take a step forward this season.

The U’s took time to find their feet in the inaugural Women’s Super League 2 last year, but improved in the second half of the season to climb off the foot of the table.

This season they open up against Watford tonight, before taking on Durham and Yeovil, all of whom finished in mid-table.

And Taylor thinks it represents an opportunity to get points on the board early on.

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The U’s manager said: “We’ve got a fairly good start to the season – we’re playing against teams who we should get results against.

“If we can do that it will be a confidence-booster and then who knows.

“We didn’t get going until after the break last year.

“We had three or four really good results which lifted us up the league table.

“If we could do that at the start of the league season, then who knows, it might just carry them through.

“Last year was a bit of an eye opener, but it stands the girls in good prospects for the season.”

Relegation out of WSL2 is not a factor for another two years, but the U’s are aiming to look higher.

Taylor views anything above their ninth-place finish in 2014 as success.

He said: “Anything over that I’ll be pleased with.

“We’d like to finish in the top half of the table, that would be our target, but that begins with confidence and having a good start.”