An exciting young Maidstone side are ready to tackle National League big boys Hartlepool today with no fear.

There’s a good feeling around the club as the Stones set about tackling their third season in the division.

The summer transfer activity has seen to that with the likes of Andre Coker, Alex Finney and Will De Havilland signing permanent deals after loan spells.

Moves for strikers Shamir Mullings and Joe Quigley, ex-Norwich defender Michee Efete, title winner George McLennan and the versatile Jordan Wynter have also added to the optimism.

They start the season at home to a Pools side on a high themselves following a takeover and aiming to return to the Football League at the second attempt.

Manager Jay Saunders said: “To be able to keep the likes of Finney, Coker and De Havilland, it shows how far we’ve come as a club.

“All these young lads had a lot of offers and they chose to stay here, which is pleasing for me.

“It shows they can see I want to progress and improve every year.

“Time will tell but I’m genuinely excited.

“We want to overrun teams, especially here. We want teams to come here and find it hard.

“I don’t want teams to settle and start knocking the ball about.

“I want to get in their faces and by doing that it allows us to play nice and high up the pitch and try to cause problems.

“There’ll be times when maybe we do need a little more experience and that’s something we’ll look at.

“People will have to be patient because there’ll be weeks when we’re a little bit off it.

“That’s natural when you’ve got a young squad with inexperience but one thing I do know is there’s no fear.”

Andre Coker (thigh) is the only injury doubt as Maidstone bid for an opening-day victory, a blow as he’d been pencilled in to start.

Saunders said: “The first game of the season is always hard.

“We’ve had Hartlepool watched but it’s a pre-season game and it’s difficult to judge teams on that.

“We respect whoever we play first game.

“Hartlepool will be tough. I’m sure they’ll want to have a better season than they did last year and they’ll be expected to have a better season.

“But I’m sure they won’t be looking forward to coming here because they’ll know it’s a tough place to come, it’s going to be boiling hot and it’s a long way from home.

“If we can get a good start it gives everyone a boost and it takes the pressure off going into the Dagenham game on Tuesday.”