VICTORY against Barton Town Old Boys will mean Tadcaster Albion have enjoyed a great start to the new campaign, declared manager Paul Marshall.

The Brewers boss believes they will face a strong side at Ings Lane - despite the visitors, who finished second last year, failing to pick up a point from their opening two Northern Counties East League premier division matches.

"They've surprisingly been beaten by Thackley and then by Handsworth who are one of the favourites to win the league," Marshall said. "But they have got a player I tried to sign in Joe Sutton and they will be an organised and strong team. They do know how to win games."

Marshall was pleased with his side's display in a 2-0 defeat against non-league powerhouses Spennymoor Town in the FA Cup last weekend, believing the game to have swung when centre-halves Andy Milne and Denny Ingram were forced off in the first half.

Milne is expected to be out for a month with an ankle injury, while Ingram, who suffered a dead leg, will be back in the side to face Barton Town. Chris Banks is also struggling with a knock to the calf.

He added: "If we can get a positive result against Barton we can say it has been a great start to the season and all move forward from there. It is a very positive club at the moment."

Changes are in the offing for Pickering Town's trip to bottom club Armthorpe Welfare in the NCEL premier division.

Manager Mitch Cook has promised to shake up his underperforming outfit following their five-goal thrashing at Worksop Town last Saturday.

It meant that in the past three weekends the Pikes have lost three games and conceded 17 goals without reply.

A 1-1 draw at Bridlington Town last Wednesday had cheered Cook, who hoped his side had turned a corner following their 6-0 loss at Shaw Lane Aquaforce.

But he was sadly mistaken.

Cook said: “Was it a case of going to Bridlington, where we knew them all, and doing a bit extra? It was back to what we had produced in the previous games. It can’t happen.

“They are disappointed, but I am disappointed. You can’t just turn football on and off when you want to. You have to be at your best all the time. We haven’t been.

“They are not producing it and I am going to have to try to stir it about a bit. We made some decisions for Bridlington and got a result. We had to go back against Worksop and it showed.

"People have had their chances. If they are not involved now they haven’t got much of an argument.”

Armthorpe have played three league games and have lost them all but, in the light of recent displays, Cook is far from complacent.

He added: “We have got to go there looking to win. Nothing else will do. We have still got some injuries that we have picked up. Tom Woodhead is obviously out for a while, Tony Hackworth is struggling.

“Joe Danby tried to play last Saturday and has got some swelling on his ankle. We haven’t recovered fully from our injuries yet."

Elsewhere, Knaresborough Town are in FA Vase action against Chester-le-Street, while Harrogate Town, who finally got a win in Conference North against Oxford City, look to double up at Lowestoft Town.

Harrogate Railway, meanwhile, visit Burscough in Evo-Stik division one north.