Peterborough Sports will show last season’s surge to the top of the Southern League was no fluke, Yaxley, Stamford, Spalding and Wisbech also start their league campaigns, FA Vase action for local clubs

Will Peterborough Sports manager Jimmy Dean be celebrating again this season? Photo: James Richardson.

Peterborough Sports boss Jimmy Dean insists his side can match the heroics of their first season as a Southern League Central Premier Division club.

It was a journey into the unknown for the city side last season, but they stunned some bigger clubs with superior fanbases and budgets to reach the top of the table before a pandemic cut short the 2019-20 season.

And Dean insists Sports’ success was no fluke. He’s backing his players to at least reach the play-offs this season and have a shot at reaching National League level.

They get an early chance to prove themselves when Tamworth, who were second when last season stopped, visit the Bee Arena on opening day tomorrow (September 19, 3pm).

Sports haven’t stood still. They’ve strengthened each area of the squad, most recently by bringing utility midfielder Jordan Nicholson to the club.

Nicholson made two appearances as a substitute in League One for Posh during the Graham Westley era before moving on to play for Barnet, Darlington, Hereford and Boston United for whom he appeared in the National North Division play-off final last season.

“We want to at least match what we did last season,” Dean announced. “I don’t think we would have won the league, but we would have finished in the play-offs and given ourselves a great chance to go up.