Cove Rangers boss Paul Hartley reckons Dumbarton will present a totally different challenge this season after a summer overhaul.
Stevie Farrell has brought in nearly 20 players after taking over at the end of May, in what has been a total rebuild from the side which escaped relegation last season.
Farrell left his post as Stranraer manager to replace Jim Duffy, returning to the club where he spent two years as assistant manager.
One of the players to leave the Sons was Morgyn Neill, who was Cove’s first signing of the summer.
Hartley said: “I think they’ve signed 19 players. Their style has changed and it’ll be a tough game. Every game away from home is tough. It’s all about your mentality and attitude.
“You see it every year in this division. There’s a big turnover of players all the time.
“Gordon (Young, assistant boss) saw them against Rangers and our scout saw them on Saturday. Personally I’ve not seen them but I’ve seen the footage. They’ve got a different style.
“You’ve always got to be confident but you’ve got to respect the opposition. They’ll be two tough games on the road the next two Saturdays.”
Cove are away to Clyde next weekend after facing Dumbarton. They picked up their first win of the season last weekend in a 5-2 demolition of East Fife.
Hartley has joined the concerns about the number of substitutes available to clubs in the lower-leagues. After being able to use five substitutes from nine last year in a pandemic-affected season, the motion did not gain sufficient backing to pass again this year and the rules have reverted to three from seven.
Peterhead manager Jim McInally raised concerns about it last week, after bringing on goalkeeper Brett Long as an outfield substitute during the SPFL Trust Trophy game against Dundee B.
League Two is the only division where five substitutes can still be used.
Hartley added: “Your substitutes are different this year – you’ve only got seven on the bench and you can only bring three on. That’s a wee bit of a hindrance for teams in our league.
“I would have been in favour of sticking (with nine subs and five to use). It gives you more options and gives players more minutes.
“We don’t have a reserve team so players will train and not play, or if they’re coming back from injury it’s difficult.
“To be fair our boys are good. They do a lot of work with Tam (Ritchie, fitness coach) after training.
“I thought it would have made sense but not everybody was in favour of it.”