Danny Lye is making the Bostik South play-offs his main target of the new season.

They may be new boys but the Ashford United boss has no thought of just making up the numbers.

Lye surveyed the new 2017/18 season’s fixtures released this week and said: “It’s going to be tough – every one of the sides in it is a proper team."

United will start at home to Carshalton Athletic on Saturday, August 12, before a trip to South Park at Reigate three days later.

They host VCD on Saturday, August 26, before visiting FA Trophy opponents Sittingbourne on Bank Holiday Monday.

Lye said: “Getting to the play-offs is a minimum because we have got a good enough squad to do it.”

"The first priority though is to get enough points on the board to avoid any relegation worries.

He added: “Once we have done that we can look towards the play-offs and if things go well, we can think about automatic promotion, and the top-two.”

Lye has been impressed by the club’s under-21 youngsters, and says he will have no qualms about giving them their chance.

He said: “Five or six of them could probably be called upon if and when we need to use them, when we get injuries.”

They get another chance in a friendly against Erith & Belvedere on Thursday, before games against Eastbourne Town on Saturday (3pm) and Folkestone Invicta (7.45pm) next Tuesday.