PAUL March is certain his York City Knights side can withstand the burden of expectation as they kick off their Championship One campaign against Dewsbury Rams tomorrow.

The player coach reckons his experienced players will be able to guide the younger squad members through the rigours of a season, while keeping the Huntington Stadium-based club in the promotion frame.

Following a highly successful pre-season and Northern Rail Cup group competition, the Knights start the season with supporters expecting them to be challenging at the top.

That’s in stark contrast to 12 months ago when, with the Knights yet to win a game, consolidation and building for the future were the watchwords.

But March, who is delighted with the way his team have developed during his tenure, believes the Knights have nothing to be afraid of – beginning at Tetley’s Stadium.

“They can cope with the pressure,” he said. “We have got some experienced players and not just myself and David (March, Paul’s twin brother). Richard Knight has been there and done it and there is also Mark Applegarth and Adam Sullivan.

“These are experienced players who will keep the young players’ feet on the ground. We have to keep enjoying the style we are playing. Sometimes it might not be good enough on the day but, 99 per cent of the time, it will be.

“Promotion is the aim. There are some tough teams in this championship. There are Dewsbury and Oldham and there will be a couple of dark horses. It is up to us to concentrate on what we are doing and play consistently.”

March said the Knights had improved beyond all recognition in the year between the start of last season and this. And he believes his squad of 35 gives him a lot more options.

He continued: “We were on a learning curve last year. The lads have had 12 months now and they all want to kick on. We want to go that step further than we did last year.

“Everyone is positive. We have already achieved one of our goals by qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Northern Rail Cup.

“It is not just on the field, it is off the field as well.

“It shows with the sponsorship and the backing we have been getting from the fans. It shows how far we have come. Now it is up to the club and the players to give the supporters something to shout about.”

March added: “We have a big squad this time. Players can come in and we didn’t have that last year. As soon as someone got injured, we couldn’t bring in people to replace them.

“We now have 35 players who I believe can perform for this team. There are going to be some disappointed lads throughout the season who aren’t playing but it is up to them to stay positive and focused because they will play a part.”