AHEAD of a potentially explosive first-day derby, Selby Town manager Leon Sewell claimed his side can be the “surprise package” of this season’s Northern Counties East League premier division.

Selby entertain Pickering Town tomorrow with both sides boasting rookie managers – Sewell faced by Pikes counterpart Pete Vasey.

Sewell remains confident the Robins will thrive and “push teams for 90 minutes, regardless of whether they’re top of the league or they’ve got more money than us”.

As an extra edge to the start of the NCEL campaign Sewell has drawn on a favour with Leeds Carnegie fitness coach John Noonan.

“We’ve done lots of strength and conditioning training and John’s helped us with that. He’s been at Hull, Scunthorpe and spent 18 months as strength and conditioning coach at Chelsea, so he’s picked up a lot of knowledge and experience from the likes of Carlo Ancelotti which he’s bringing to the team.

“We’ve also done lots of injury prevention exercises and have concentrated on making sure the lads are conditioned to as professional a level as possible for a non-league outfit.”

A total of 17 new recruits, many from local football, form the bulk of Sewell’s 20-strong squad.

“It’s clear there’s not a lot of money around the club and I’ve got a strong belief in local people playing for their local teams, especially the young lads coming through,” said Sewell.

“I’ve seen more than enough talent locally to show me we don’t have to spread our wings too far afield to find the right players”.

Sewell has called Selby’s opening fixtures “one of the hardest starts in the league” and will be wary to avoid a repeat of where they left off last season when term ended with a 5-0 thumping from the Pikes.

“It’s a massive local derby,” said Sewell.

“I’m the youngest manager in the league at 26, Pete Vasey is only 28 and we’re both in our first job as manager, so it should be an interesting game.”

His Pikes counterpart Vasey has been buoyed after four win-less pre-season friendlies were followed by triumphs over Scarborough Town and Kirkbymoorside ahead of tomorrow’s derby duel.

He said: “Pre-season is not about results – it’s about improving fitness – but footballers and teams get into the habit of winning and we’re looking to breed that mentality.”

His new signings have come later than hoped for, but Richard Batley has been recruited after the Pikes saw off overseas clubs which were able to offer a full-time contract to the central defender.

Stuart Rice has joined from Tadcaster Albion, goalkeeper Chris Parrott has arrived and will go straight into the first team, while young full-back Jonny Andrew has been snapped up after recently being released by York City.

Vasey is also confident his youthfulness will be a help rather than prove a hindrance to the club’s progress.

“The club has taken a gamble on me but I’m young, enthusiastic and experienced and all these attributes will stand me in good stead,” he said.

“I’m an ambitious person, definitely. I’m excited and optimistic about the new season because I’m confident we can do well.”

Vasey isn’t content with just consolidation at a club which has made seventh spot their own in the past three years, saying: “I feel the club has stagnated over recent years.

“As a minimum, we need to replicate last season’s seventh place but, for me personally, we need to be looking at promotion.

“I know how well the club is run and I know Pickering is a great club, but this isn’t shown in our league record.

“Look at Harrogate Railway or Alfreton and how they’ve progressed. Alfreton are now in the Blue Square Bet Premier and this has got to be our long-term aim.

“Contending for promotion is the first step.”