Survival will be a seen seen as a success for Peterborough Sports this season, but they've not gone up to make the numbers up.

Peterborough Sports celebrate their Maunsell Cup Final win over Posh this week. Photo: James Richardson.

The city side’s incredible rise up the divisions in English football means another journey into the unknown and this time dangers lurk everywhere.

Sports are a step two side for the first time in the club’s history and they open their National North League campaign at home to another newly-promoted team Buxton at the Bee Arena on Saturday (3pm).

"If we’re here this time next year still talking about a National League campaign I will treat that as a success,” Sports manager Jimmy Dean, the man who has masterminded a meteoric rise, said.

“Don’t ask me for a prediction because I don’t know the level, but I do know we are facing some huge clubs like Darlington, Hereford, and Chester so the challenge is obvious.

"And I also know we have met every challenge put before us in the last few years.

"This is a club that finds solutions to problems and we are used to winning games so that gives me confidence.

"We are certainly not going into the season thinking we are making the numbers up.

"Buxton will be a tough start. They have hired the Chorley manager (Jamie Vermiglio) who knocked both us and Posh out of the FA Cup in recent seasons and it’s obvious he has gone there as he thinks they have a great chance of success.

"We’ll have a go like we always do though. There is a great will to win at this club and that has seen us come through several difficult periods successfully.”

Sports will be without centre-back Connor Johnson (suspended), Dan Lawlor (honeymoon), Maniche Sani (injured) and Isaiah Bazeley (injured) against Buxton.

The club recruited well in the close season though and they are sure to field a competitive side.

"Midfield is a problem for us on Saturday,” Dean said. “But others will get a chance to show they deserve to start games.

"Fair play to the chairman (Grant Biddle) as he backed me well in the close season.”

National League North is a 24-team division and the bottom four will be relegated.

Local rivals King’s Lynn Town and Kettering Town are among the city side’s opponents this season.