Match Preview

Whitby Town boss Nathan Haslam expects to make a couple of changes to his side ahead of Tuesday night's first away trip of the season to Guiseley in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Following a physical opening day encounter against Atherton Collieries, a game which the Seasiders won 2-0, Haslam will perhaps look to make the most of his squad depth in what is a hectic schedule at the start of the new season.

But manager Haslam admitted that this was to be expected and there are certainly no major concerns going into the trip to Nethermoor Park (7:45pm kick-off).

Squad depth was among a number of topics up for discussing when Haslam spoke to whitbytownfc.com ahead of Tuesday night's all-Yorkshire affair.

On the situation regarding personnel available following the opening day of the season..

"It was a physical game. It certainly had more of an edge to it than a pre-season game. We took a couple of knocks as you would expect in any game.

"It's just tightness more than anything else but we need to manage that, and we've got a big enough squad to do that."

On his side's start to the season...

"It couldn't have gone any better really. A clean sheet and the win were the most important things, it doesn't matter how you do it. It wasn't the perfect performance from us but you've got to find a way to win in this league and that's all that matters.

"It was two set pieces that got us the two goals and that's credit to to the boys really. We did carve them open a few times and I would have liked us to have been a bit more composed in front of goal, but I think at 2-0 they were always going to be up against it."

On Guiseley, who enjoyed all three outings against Town last season...

"Looking back to last season, we played them three times, once in the Trophy and twice in the league, and they beat us every time. It's a tough place to go, we know that and we're under no illusions it's going to be a tough game.

"Our record's not great there but we're going there on the back of a win in our first game so it's down to us to take the game as it comes and I'm sure we've got a team that's good enough to put a performance in on the night."

On new signing Alfie Doherty, who completed his first competitive 90 minutes on the opening day after signing last week...

"I'm chuffed to bits for him, he's a very likeable kid as you'll have seen in his interview from Saturday. He's eager, he wants to play every week, but he's only 19 so he needs to be managed. It's a tough league and there are a lot of games.

"He's on a crest of a wave at the moment, he's doing really well, and that's good for me as a manager as I want players in that same kind of form really. Credit to Alfie and fingers crossed he can keep this good bit of form going."

On squad depth and the characteristics of the group...

"Our depth is going to be key this season without a doubt. It's more managing players and keeping them happy, rather than squad rotation. For this first four or five weeks where we've got two games a week we need to manage it.

"It's something for the players to manage and understand that you can play well and there's the potential that you may not be in the team the week after. That's purely down to the challenge of the league and what each time provides. I pick a team that I feel can go out and win each game and I think something the players are buying into is that we have starters and we have finishers, the substitutes.

"It's positive and when we've got two games a week, it's going to be a massive benefit to us."