WESTBURY United manager Derek Graham believes promotion is a must this season as his side prepare for their Screwfix League Division one opener at home to Ilfracombe.

After a dramatic collapse at the end of the last campaign saw them slip from the top of the table towards mid-table, Graham knows there is no room for error this time round.

He said: "We have to be aiming for promotion this year. We totally blew it last year, but with the new faces we have brought in we should do better.

"Last season was terrible, we know where we went wrong though and I can assure everyone it will never happen again.

"It is really important to enjoy a successful season because if we don't we will start losing players to higher league clubs.

"Most of the players we have got here are too good for the First Division but fortunately they blame themselves for last season and so we have kept all of them. But I am not sure it would be the same story if we failed again."

Westbury have strengthened their squad this summer with the addition of Lee Burns, from Odd Down, Matty Bown, from Paulton, Tom Welch, from Bath City, and Justin Tugwell, from Warminster.

The only players to leave Meadow Lane are defenders Russell Fishlock and Darren Lush and goalkeeper Mark Batters and Graham is confident he now has a stronger squad.

He said: "One of our problems last season was we lost two our main strikers, Wayne Wheeler and Toby Colbourne, through injury and were unable to replace them.

"We only managed to score half the goals we had the previous season even though we conceded 15 less, so I knew it was important to strengthen attacking wise.

"We have brought in Tom Welch and Matt Bown who can score goals so hopefully we would be able to cope better with injuries to one of our attackers."

Towards the end of last season, Westbury changed their formation from their usual 4-3-3 to a more defensive 4-4-2 as they tried to stop the rot, but Graham insists this season will see a return of their attacking football.

He said: "With Colbourne, Wheeler, O'Pray and Bown as attacking options, I expect we will play all of them.

"Attacking football has worked for us most of the time and there is no way I am going to change. I am much more interested in scoring goals and am perhaps fortunate that the club seems to be as well.

"You know you will always be entertained at Westbury and I am not going to change that."

The departure of last season's regular goalkeeper, Mark Batters, has left Graham with a difficult decision about to who should replace him.

The natural choice would be last season's number two Wiltshire goalkeeper Lewis Porter but he is being challenged closely by Jamie McGuckian, who played for Warminster last season.

"We are yet to make our minds up," said Graham.

"Both have shown they are more than capable so it will be close run thing for Saturday."

The club have also been boosted by the news they will receive a £20,000 grant from the Football Foundation to allow them to build a wall around the pitch.

Westbury entertain league newcomers Biddestone on Wednesday night.