Paul Musgrove hopes the new arrivals at Stowmarket Town this summer will help them get over the line in their bid for promotion this season, writes Alex Moss.

The Old Gold and Blacks narrowly missed out on back-to-back promotions last season, finishing third in their first campaign back in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division, following their title-winning success in the First Division in 2016-17.

Stow netted more than 100 goals and were the third team to break the 100-point mark in the Premier Division last term, but finished just short behind champions Coggeshall Town and runners-up Felixstowe & Walton United, who were both promoted.

With only the champions earning promotion from the Premier Division in 2018-19, Stow assistant boss Musgrove knows how important a good start will be as they look to secure a place in the Bostik League for the first time in the club’s history.

“Me and Rick (Andrews, Stow manager) talk a hell of a lot and we looked at it last season, we had a really good season, but we ended up with nothing,” Musgrove said.

“There were certain areas we felt where we needed to do something and hopefully that will take us across the line.

“We feel that the things we got wrong last year we’ve put right this year, but we’re under no illusion that teams will come here, and we’ll go to their place, and they’ll work their socks off to beat us.

“We’ve got to have the right mentality, work rate and quality to overcome that from the first minute to the 94th minute.”

Stow start their new campaign by hosting Thetford Town at Greens Meadow this Saturday (3pm), before travelling to Premier Division new boys Framlingham Town on Tuesday (7.45pm), and there will be several new faces making their competitive debuts for Rick Andrews’ side this weekend.

Callum Robinson will start in goal for Andrews’ men, with fellow goalkeeper Craig Brand out injured (shoulder), while other new signings Sam Nunn, Matt Paine, Ollie Canfer, Max Melanson, Scott Chaplin and Robbie Sweeney will all be pushing for a place in the starting XI.