Peterborough Sports are aiming for the top as they seek to defy the odds again

Midfielder Oisin Gallagher gas returned to the club on a season-long loan from Lincoln City. He played the first half of last season at Pims Park on loan from ‘The Imps’ and was a huge hit before leaving to join Irish club Drogheda, also on loan.

​There was already a healthy dose of optimism, as well as realism, in Sports camp as they prepare to set out on a third season of National League North football.​The city side have defied the odds in the last two seasons having finished 14th and then 15th while operating with one of the smallest budgets in the division.

They will have to defy expectations again just to survive as bookies Bet Victor have them as relegation favourites. They are rank outsiders at 66/1 to win the title.

Joint-managers Michael Gash and Luke Steele are not daft enough to believe that’s a likely outcome given the standard and size of their opposition, but they have their eyes on a top half finish.

"It’s a tough league we know that,” Gash said. “We are up against some relatively massive clubs, but we believe we have a better squad with more depth than we had at this time last year.

"We know what to expect and we know we can compete. We have players with great character who want to be at this club and that matters a lot.

"We will see where it all takes us, but we believe we can improve on last season’s finish and maybe we can get into the top half.”

Gash has been pleased with his club’s summer recruitment, but it’s a tough start to the season against Chorley at PIMS Park tomorrow (3pm), Chorley finished fourth last season and Sports will be without striker Mark Jones because of a calf injury.

"It is a tough opener,” player-boss Gash admitted. “In fact it’s a tough first month with four away games and big clubs for the level like Hereford, Chester and King’s Lynn to play.

"But pre-season has gone well apart from a poor performance against Yaxley. We only lost to higher level teams Northampton and Boston and we probably shouldn’t have lost either of them.”

Sports have also recruited defenders Elliot Putman (Coalville), Ashton Fox (Posh) and MJ Kamara (Lincoln) as well as midfielder Joe Cole (Deeping Rangers), and forwards Michael Gyasi (Boston) and Jack Goodman (Doncaster) in the close season. Cole has since returned to Deeping on loan.

Winger Dion Sembie-Ferris, a key man when Sports were charging up the leagues, has also returned to the club from divisional rivals Scunthorpe.

Goodman is on a six-week loan as cover for Jones, but there is a possibility he could stay for longer at PIMS Park.

"Doncaster just want Jack to play games,” Gash added. “And he’s looked sharp. He’s only here on a short-term loan initially, but that could change.

"We might bring in two more players from Football League clubs this week. One will definitely be here before the weekend and one has been involved with his current club in pre-season and has been doing well.”

ODDS

Scunthorpe United who are now managed by former Posh set-piece coach Andy Butler are 4/1 favourites with Bet Victor to win the title.

Chester are second favourites at 6/1 with Kidderminster Harriers at 18/1.