Clitheroe have held on to just three players from last season, but manager Peter Smith is adamant his young team have already gelled together well.

“We’ve had a good pre-season,” he said. “We’ve got some good young lads coming through, we’ve only lost once and, although you don’t get points for friendly wins, it’s still a good indication of where you’re at.

“We’ve matched Bradford Park Avenue, beaten Burscough, and they’re both top sides in this league.”

Smith understands the difficulty of the league his side are in, but is confident his squad can compete.

He said: “We’re not a moneybags team, instead we try to bring the young lads through as best we can, and get them enjoying their football.

“If they’re enjoying it and we get off to a good start, then they’ll be buzzing and we can hit off from there.”