DANNY Cowley says he did not feel the need to play an extra pre-season friendly in the week preceding the start of the new season.

Billericay Town have played eight matches and Canvey Island nine games in their non-league preparations but Cowley says his Concord Rangers team wanted to stick to a tried-and-tested schedule of seven matches.

“I wasn’t about to change an early programme that has served us so well in seasons past. We have a process where we work hard in the 15 training sessions leading up to the weekend’s matches and then we are able to see how we have developed in the games.

“We have got better and better as the games have gone on and we are well prepared for Bath on Saturday.”

The Beachboys returned to pre-season training a week earlier than many other non-league sides, in a bid to be that extra bit sharper than their opponents come the opening day.

And they have only lost one of their seven pre-season matches – going down 2-0 to Dagenham & Redbridge.

The successful pre-season means Cowley is sure to face a selection headache.

“All of the boys have shown me they are ready to play,” he said. “None of them did their cases any harm (against Millwall last Saturday) so we will have to see.”