New-look Scarborough Athletic ready for National League North opener at Peterborough Sports

Midfielder Alex Purver is set to make his league debut for Boro at Peterborough Sports this Saturday. PHOTOS BY ZACH FORSTER

For both clubs it is just their second season at this level, after Boro finished eighth, only missing out on the play-offs on goal-difference in 2022-23, while Sports ended a creditable 14th after stepping up from the Southern League, writes Steve Adamson.

Boro manager Jono Greening has made quite a few changes to the squad over the Summer, with Kieran Glynn (to AFC Fylde), Kieran Burton (Hartlepool), Ryan Watson (Farsley Celtic) and Simon Heslop (Liversedge) all leaving the club, along with loan players Dan Greenfield (Spennymoor) and Ciaran McGuckin (Rotherham) who have returned to their parent clubs.

Coming in to replace them are Alex Purver (from Darlington), Alex Brown (Chester), Frank Mulhern (Farsley Celtic), Harry Green (Whitby Town) and Charlie Marshall (Garforth Town).

New Boro defender Alex Brown has impressed in pre-season.

All the new faces impressed in the pre-season games along with established players Luca Colville and reigning player of the year Kieran Weledji, while Nick Hutton also did enough to earn himself a new deal at the club, and keeper Ryan Whitley has returned from York City for a second loan spell with Boro.

Midfielder Curtis Durose has also just joined on loan from Rotherham, but defender Ashley Jackson picked up a knee injury in pre-season, and he joins skipper Michael Coulson and Alex Wiles on the injured list as the new season kicks off.

Hosts Peterborough Sports will also include a few new faces, including striker Ben Fowkes who scored 21 goals for Leiston in the Southern League last season, and midfielder Roddy McGlinchey, who has joined on a season-long loan from Peterborough United.

In their final two friendlies, a Dan Lawlor penalty secured a 1-0 win against a Peterborough United XI, then on Saturday they lost 2-1 at home to Barnsley U21s.

TRANSPORT - The Valley Bar Seadogs have two coaches going to the game, departing from Contrast Cafe, Falsgrave Road at 8.30am - phone 07598 931 572 for details.