WISBECH Town boss Steve Appleby has revealed that he reunited Paul Cousins with the captain’s armband because it makes him a better player.

The Fenmen begin their Thurlow Nunn Premier Division title charge tomorrow and it will be Cousins who leads them out at the Elgood’s Fenland Stadium.

The centre-back defected to fierce rivals King’s Lynn Town last summer but rejoined Wisbech in January after spells with Soham Town Rangers and Wroxham.

In his absence, Appleby appointed full back Scott Johnson as captain but he has now restored Cousins as the skipper of his home-town club.

The Wisbech boss said: “I feel we get more out of Paul Cousins when he’s wearing that armband. It improves his game 20 per cent.

“It wasn’t a nice decision to make but Scott accepted it. He’s the ultimate professional. He gets on with his job and does whatever you ask of him.

“He took it like a man. I wouldn’t say he was totally happy about it because he loved that job but he’s not the type of lad who would sulk.

“It’s just one of those decisions that I made for the good of the club.”

The Fenmen, who plundered 26 goals in their seven pre-season games, are already being tipped for a glorious season.

Appleby said: “Expectation is fine as long as people aren’t daft about it. You can’t expect the boys to perform like they have done every week as that’s nigh on impossible.

“I’m trying to get the players to relish that expectation because if you want to win things you will find yourselves in that position.”

He added: “We’re in it for the title. It would mean everything to us and it would mean everything to the people of Wisbech. They’ve waited a long while for this.”

Wisbech’s six-game winning run was halted by a late equaliser on Saturday. Northampton Sileby Rangers hit back to claim a 1-1 draw after Chris Bacon’s header had put the Fenmen in front.

Appleby’s side host Walsham-le-Willows in their league opener tomorrow.

Bacon and Anthony Reeve are suspended, while Darren Jimson and Matt Lunn will also be missing. Dubi Ogbonna is hoping to shrug off the ankle injury he picked up on Saturday.

The Fenmen also travel to Haverhill Rovers on Tuesday.