No summer overhaul at Knaresborough Town, but boss Simon Parkes pleased to be able to 'strengthen'

After a poor start to last season, the Manse Lane outfit finished strongly, eventually ending up 12th in the NCEL Premier Division, while also reaching the NCEL League Cup final.

Thus, boss Parkes didn’t feel that he needed to conduct a major overhaul during the summer, though he has had to try to offset the loss of a couple of key men in the shape of goalkeeper Tommy Brown and long-serving midfield lynchpin Ben Parkes.

Through the door so far are stopper Ed Hall, right-back Josh Hardcastle, the versatile and vastly experienced Dan Thirkell, winger Slater Barnes, and forwards Jack Dyche and Ben Gelder.

"On the back of last year, I was happy with the squad we had, so I didn’t want to be injecting too many new faces,” Parkes told BBC Radio York.

"But, when you are coming into pre-season, it’s important that you have players competing for places, so it is making sure that each area has a level of competition.

"Also, the players that do leave, it’s important that you are replacing them and that you strengthen, because we are here to win and continue to develop and try to achieve our own goals, and make sure that we are better than we were last year.”

Goalkeeper Hall has previously played much higher up the non-league pyramid for the likes of Bradford Park Avenue and Farsley Celtic and joins fresh from helping Silsden win the NCEL Premier Division title last term.

"Ed is a local lad, and the caliber of player that he is – he’s played a few leagues higher for a number of years – that experience is invaluable, it can only enhance us,” Parkes said.

On his two new strikers, the Boro boss added: "These are two brilliant players, lads who I have known for a couple of years. They add great options to our attack and will mix well with the couple we already have in the camp.

"Jack was obviously top-scorer at Liversedge at the end of last year and although Ben didn’t have the greatest of years last season with injuries, I know the attributes he has and what he can bring to the party.”

Knaresborough kick-off their pre-season schedule with a trip to Northern League outfit Northallerton Town on July 1.