North Village coach Shaun Goater claims his side can still be Premier Division title contenders this season despite his squad being depleted of several key players.With skipper Sammy DeGraff retiring, Tyrell Burgess joining Somerset Trojans and Dakai Grant unavailable due to school commitments, Village no longer have the strength in depth that was once the envy of all their rivals.Admitting the Rams have ‘taken a hit’ this summer, Goater maintains they can challenge for all honours this term although accepts they should have been more active during the transfer window.“This is a bit of a transitional period for Village. We lost a few players this summer, probably six or seven, which is a big hit to take for any club,” he said.“We have players that are adaptable and have some young players coming through. We weren’t as active in the market as we perhaps should have been but we have players who can fill in different positions.“Village will always be challenging (for trophies) and I believe are still the team to beat in the eyes of the other teams.”Goater, who has won six trophies since taking charge at Village more than three years ago, concedes he will struggle to plug the gaps left by veteran midfielder DeGraff and the versatile Burgess.But he has been encouraged by the team’s performances in pre-season, defeating top-flight sides Robin Hood and Trojans.“Sammy is a huge loss, he was our captain, he led by example both on and off the pitch,” said Goater, who led Village into the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championships for the first time in the club’s history earlier this year.“He leaves a huge void but he’s obviously moving into a different area of his life and everyone wishes him all the best. We really hope we can call on him from time to time.“Tyrell has been a big player for us, a big performer, and will also leaves a huge void to fill.“Dakai Grant is another player who has been coming on very nicely but he’s one of those who will be away in school this season.“These are some of the challenges we are facing but, having said that, Village being Village will find a way. I think it bodes well for us in a four years because when all our college players come back we will be very strong.”Village, who finished second in the Premier Division last season, two points behind champions Dandy Town, take on Hornets in the Charity Shield at the Goose Gosling Field at 8pm.