KINGTON Town begin life after the Hodge brothers with a season-opening Division One derby with Bartestree at Mill Street on Saturday.

Aaron and Dale Hodge played key roles as Kington lifted the Division Two title last term but both have rejoined AFC?Ludlow, Dale after spending some of the pre-season with Hereford FC.

“They did us a great job,” admitted Kington boss Shaun Harris.

"But we have to move on and adapt our style accordingly without them.”

Forwards Tom Rowlands (Rhayader), Tom Parry (Bartestree) and Ryan Nicholas (Weobley) have joined, but Harris is still hoping to add more new faces.

Bartestree manager Chris Hayes kicks off his first full season in charge targeting a top four finish.

New signings include Carl Morgan (from Westfields), Jack Muirhead (from Bromyard), Max Powell, Shaun Prince and experienced ex-Hereford United man Dean Clarke.

But they start without the suspended Darren Andrews (five games) and Mark Hibbard (two games), two of the four players sent off in the 7-1 cup debacle at Ludlow in April.

Lads Club boss Danny Moon is expecting Division One to be particularly competitive.

He said: “With Kington and Darlaston (their visitors on Saturday) coming up and the sides coming down, it looks tough.

"But we finished fifth last season and we can better that.”

Moon has recruited experienced ex-Pegasus man Danny Hill, and also Tom Dawson, Jamie Cuthbertson, Matt Evans, Dean Drezewski, Matt Wargen, Dean Corbett, Kier Cowley (scorer of 64 goals for Sunday Leaguers Potting Shed last season) and Robert Drag.