DETERMINED GARY'S EAGER TO REMAIN IN FAST LANE!

GARY Meakin reckons Rayners Lane can have a crack at a third successive promotion – if his players maintain high standards throughout the season.

- John Lyons

Ambitious Lane won promotion through the Combined Counties Division One play-offs under previous boss Scott Patmore in 2022-23. It was then the experienced Meakin’s turn to repeat the feat in Premier Division North last season, beating Bedfont Sports on penalties to secure promotion to Step 4 for the first time.

It means the north-west London club, in the borough of Harrow, will line up in a tasty-looking Isthmian South Central Division in the coming season. Former Beaconsfield Town boss Meakin is expecting a searching examination at the higher level, but believes there is a chance for Lane to make it a hattrick of promotions on the bounce.

“There’s no reason why we can’t – we have a squad good enough to compete,” the 40-year-old told The NLP. “I’m not saying we are going to win the league – there are a lot of good teams in there – but I can’t see why we can’t be in and around the play-offs.

“You know what it’s like if you get to the play-offs – it’s a lottery. A shot at two games for promotion is the target.”