Scarborough Athletic manager Jono Greening sets sights on promotion ahead of season kick-off

Boro striker Frank Mulhern in action during the 2-1 win against Marske United at Guisborough on Saturday. PHOTO BY ZACH FORSTER

Speaking after their final pre-season match, a 2-1 win against Marske United at Guisborough Town, the ex-Manchester United midfielder set out his aims for the 2023-24 NLN campaign.

Greening said: “The overall ambition is to get promoted, we’d love to win it but it is a really difficult league with some very strong teams in it, Scunthorpe United coming down and South Shields coming up, that’s two full-time teams who have got quite a lot of money to spend.

"We’re going to give it a really good shot, if we can get in the play-offs if we can’t get promoted automatically that would be absolutely fantastic but the main aim is to keep building on the last two years which is what we try to do on and off the pitch, building the club for the future.

Boro's two-goal hero Kieran Weledji is congratulated by teammate Frank Mulhern.

"I think we’ve got a great group of lads like we’ve had for the past two years, a group that always gives everything, 110%, a great team spirit, a great togetherness. We will take one game at a time like we have for the past two years and try and put our best performance on and try to get the right output from each game. If we can do that I think we will be successful.

"We believe in the lads, the players believe in themselves and I think the supporters believe we can do something so we need to go give it a good crack.”

Boro have boosted their squad by confirming the permanent signing of defender Ryan Qualter, 31, from Matlock Town for an undisclosed fee.

The defender, who joined the Seadogs in January 2023 for a second spell on loan, has made his move permanent.

Greening was happy with how his side fought back from going a goal down against Marske.

He said: "It was always going to be a tough game against Marske. It was a great run-out for the boys, the last of pre-season and I think we looked fit and strong.

"We probably should have scored in the first minute as Alex Brown had a good chance at the back post, Kieza (Kieran Weledji) had a chance, Frank (Mulhern) had a chance and then we go 1-0 down. But the boys battled back again with a great goal by Kieza down the right, cut in on his left and slotted it into the corner very similar to Chester away last year in the league.”