TADCASTER ALBION must earn the right to Northern Counties East League premier division promotion, says boss Billy Miller.

The Brewers are among the favourites to win the title following a series of top five finishes over the past few years but the new manager at the helm at Ings Lane is refusing to take anything for granted.

Albion start the new season with the visit of Maltby Main before Parkgate arrive in North Yorkshire on Tuesday and Miller, who has bolstered his squad with a series of signings over the summer, says the players can't under-estimate anyone.

"The pressure is going to be on because we are now playing someone that, automatically, everyone expects you to beat," he said. "You have to earn the right to win football matches. I have mentioned that if we start under-estimating anyone that's when we will start getting beaten.

"It is really important that we go into the season and it is game on."

Miller is relatively pleased with the club's progress in pre-season, especially in the games against higher division opponents Spennymoor and Farsley, but added: "We would all like promotion but we have to earn the right. If we are saying we should get promoted then we need to rethink our strategy. No-one has got the right to go up and, especially with only one team being promoted, it is even harder.

"The team that earns the right to go up will do so and we have to make sure we are in among that. What we have said to the lads is that we have got to establish the mentality of saying 'anyone, anytime and anywhere' and bring that winning mentality to the side."

Miller has worked to strengthen the Albion squad through the summer with former Garforth striker Nick Black, Danny Stimpson, ex-Huddersfield Town professional George Conway and Scarborough Athletic, and one-time York City, hotshot Jimmy Beadle among the new recruits.

Beadle, in particular, was an eye-catching addition having scored 21 goals from centre midfield in the Seadogs' Evo-Stik first division north campaign last season.

And Miller believes they could be key in the matches against the division's top sides which he feels will ultimately decide the fate of the championship. The Brewers fared poorly in games with the promotion contenders last season.

"You have got to look at the teams around you," he added. "They are the important games. The team that comes out with the best head-to-head will be the one at the top of the league.

"Last year, it wasn't great - for whatever reason that was - and you have got to manage games. 1-0 is just as important as 5-0 and 6-0 across the league season. If you win every single game 1-0 you will win the league, no matter what anyone else does."