By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington manager Nick Gray has challenged his squad ‘to be better than last season’ – ahead of Saturday’s curtain raiser in the Pitching In Northern Premier League when the Colliers travel to face Bridlington Town.

Gray said: “This is our bread and butter and we’ve got to learn from last year because there are things which we need to do a lot better. We are still in the process of putting a squad together and apart from bringing some players in, we’ve got the nucleus from last year. However, we’ve still got people away on holiday and others still finding their fitness and although August isn’t a pretty month – it’s an important one. We have got to get some points on the board during this period – and against some good sides that’s for sure – but we are well capable of doing it.”

The Woodhorn Lane boss says his squad will head down the East coast “in a positive frame of mind” – and emphasised the importance of being ‘up for it’ come 3pm on Saturday: “Our away game at Bridlington last year sticks in my mind because if we had got a good result, we could have enjoyed the end of the season more than we did,” he said, “It’s like every team in this league, if you’re not ‘at it,’ you can get battered and that day, we didn’t perform at all. The pitch is big, and we will go there in a positive frame of mind and with confidence. It’s the start of 42 league games – and if you’re not up for it you shouldn’t be involved in football.”