MANAGER Paul Marshall has expressed his happiness with Pickering Town’s start to the season – despite losing striker Carl Stewart to Frickley Athletic.

Marshall’s men, aside their FA Cup exit to Evo-Stik League side Clitheroe, have remained unbeaten in their three Northern Counties East League premier division games – following up victory at high-flying Pontefract Collieries and a draw with Maltby Main with a 4-2 comeback win over early-season whipping boys Clipstone last Saturday.

Stewart’s departure is a “blow” but the form of fellow hitman Ryan Blott – including a match-winning hat-trick at Clipstone, when his side otherwise made life hard for themselves - has so far made up for it.

Marshall is now looking for more points tomorrow as he faces old mates Rob Hunter and Mark Smitheringale, who are in charge of hosts Garforth Town (3pm).

“It’s a blow to lose Carl but Frickley are throwing massive money around and you can’t fault him for going on such a lucrative deal,” said the Pikes boss. “We also signed him thinking we’d get another striker and Ryan Blott has been good – he was outstanding at Clipstone.

“We’ll have a similar side out at Garforth as we had at Clipstone and we’ll want to carry on this unbeaten form. My old assistants at Tadcaster Albion – Rob and Mark – are in charge at Garforth, and they’ll want to get one over on me.

“Their team have started well – they’re very hard-working and it will be much tougher than at Clipstone, when we were poor.

“There was a bit of complacency. We went 1-0 up quickly but then got sloppy, conceding an own goal while a lack of communication cost us another.

“We had to fight like hell in the end to win it when it should have been a comfortable seven or eight.”

On the season’s start, Marshall added: “We’re the only team to have beaten Pontefract – they’ve had five straight wins since – and we got a draw at Maltby who are third. It’s a nice steady start.

“We always start with a run of away games because of cricket (at the shared Mill Lane ground) so it’s tough. If we can get away from Garforth with something, we’ve then got four back-to-back home games in September.”

Stewart is still dual-registered with Pickering – which is allowed given Frickley are in the Evo-Stik League – so may yet make his mark on the Pikes’ season, like Joe Danby is likely to do after his return on DR from Scarborough Athletic.

Marshall has also been delighted with the form of new keeper Harry Andrews, previously of Notts County, and Joey McCormick, the York lad who was released by Doncaster.

Andrews’ excellence between the sticks has seen fellow stopper Peter Lawrie switch to Garforth – although he won’t face his former club tomorrow due to a groin injury.

The Pikes’ first home league game is on Tuesday against promoted Penistone Church (7.45pm) - unless Penistone draw Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Whitby and face a midweek replay.

Harrogate Railway, with only one win in four so far, host Rainworth Miners Welfare.