SALISBURY FC boss Steve Claridge is confident of not conceding as many goals as last season as his side look ahead to start of the new campaign.

Salisbury conceded 52 league goals last term and scored 118, which saw them finish second in the league.

Of the 118 goals scored, the strike partnership of Tommy Wright and Justin Bennett netted 92.

Claridge told JournalSport: “I don’t think we are going to score 100 or so goals next season but I don’t think we are going to concede the amount of goals we conceded either, I think we will be playing a different style.

“Also I don’t think we are going to get two players getting 92 goals between them, but what we are going to get is four or five players getting 92 goals, which could be the difference.”

The Whites have scored just one goal against football league opposition during pre-season but Claridge believes that defending is more of a key area and said: “You look at Jake Wannell, when the ball comes in our box you know that he is going to head it away, and you look at Marvin Brooks he will do the same, and then Kane O’Keefe.

“Because ultimately those are the areas that teams hurt us.

“Teams don’t hurt us from free play.

“But we do struggle when the ball comes into our box.”

Claridge also said he is happy with the amount of players he has for next season and said: “We’ve got some options and we got lots of players vying for positions.”

But said that he was unsure who his best eleven were, adding: “I haven’t had an opportunity to look at everyone yet and once I do that and everyone is fit and we get a system that we can bed in I will make a decision.

“But I’m really excited and am encouraged with what I’ve seen and I haven’t seen anything yet that concerns me.”