Crossgates Primrose boss Alan Campbell is hopeful that his team can kick-on in the new campaign after a strong end to last season.
The Humbug Park outfit, who opened their pre-season fixtures with a win at Lochgelly Albert on Monday evening, won three of their final four East of Scotland League First Division fixtures last term, with the other being a narrow defeat to champions Camelon.
After relegation from the Premier Division, Primrose were in the mix for a quickfire return for much of the season, eventually finishing fifth, nine points off third and the final promotion place.
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Campbell has, so far, made five additions to his squad, bringing in goalkeepers Jack Foster and Brandyn Bain, and midfielders Kris Gaff and Ben Finnan, as well as securing defender Charlie Murray, who was on loan with the club, on a permanent basis.
Last season's top goalscorer Scott Hynd, who left for Bo'ness Athletic in late March, also returned at the end of May, signing a two-year deal to further bolster Crossgates ahead of the new campaign, which kicks off on July 26.
"I don't think it'll be any easier," Campbell told Times Sport at the conclusion of last term about the upcoming season.
"There's teams coming into our league, and coming down, that will be strong. I think it'll be a tough old league again.
"I think we got to 50 points so, if you'd said to me at the start of the season, I don't think I'd have believed that.
"Us getting relegated, we could've crumbled.
"There's another couple of teams that suffered double relegations there, Inverkeithing and Kinnoull. We managed to avoid that.
"I think there was some people at the start of the season saying Crossgates will be one of those teams as well, so we've proved them wrong."
On last season, Campbell continued: "I think there was three parts to our season.
"I think the first part of the season, the first 10, 11, 12 games, we were really good, right up there. In the winter months, we kinda tailed off a wee bit in terms of the points we got.
"Maybe, again, just having to adapt our style with the winter conditions and the state of the pitches and things, but what we did was we came on and finished strongly, which was pleasing.
"In all the time I've been at Crossgates, I wouldn't say we go out with a whimper, but a lot of the seasons have dwindled away, whereas we had a real focus about us, a real togetherness, and I can only see the team getting better.
"It's what I keep saying, but it's not going to be any easier."
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