It’s been the kind of challenging start to the campaign that Rayners Lane were expecting after they were moved across into the Pitching In Southern League Division One Central over the summer.
But having got their first taste of victory courtesy of Monday’s 4-2 win at Northwood, they are ready to push on.
“It’s always important to get the first three points on the board as soon as possible,” goalkeeper, Charlie Patmore, admitted to us. “Even more so when you come into a new League. It’s been a hard start, as we expected it to be, so to get the victory at Northwood on Monday has lifted the morale of everyone.
“In many ways we had to start from scratch over the summer and build a new team to go into this League from limited resources.
“It’s the first time that some of our players have been at this level and we’re still learning about each other and how to adapt to the demands of the division.
“We’ve found ourselves up against established teams who have been together for a while, and it shows. We’re just taking it a game at a time and learning as we go.
“Personally, I am always fairly tough on myself as I have high standards, and I feel that I could have done better in certain situations so far, but by the same token, I am also happy with some of the saves I’ve made.
“As I say, this is a learning process for us all and there have certainly been signs of improvement as the month has gone on, which we now hope to take into our September fixtures.
“It’s still very much early days in the season. Monday’s victory at a good side will give us added belief, which hopefully will be a springboard for us now.
“Seeing the fans return to the Lane this season has been fantastic and there’s a real togetherness around the whole club, which will stand us in good stead for the battles that lie ahead.
“We knew that this League would be competitive and demanding, so there have been no surprises. There are some big clubs plying their trade at this level, who should be playing higher, but also we’ve seen that everyone is capable of beating each other.
“It’s not going to be an easy ride; this League feels really professional and the amount of support that clubs in Division One Central get is fantastic. As a club we are enjoying being part of the Southern League and our main aim is to establish ourselves here.
“We’ve probably got one of the smallest playing budgets in the division and we’re rebuilding the club from top to bottom, so something like that takes time and patience. Maintaining our place in this division will be an achievement and in Scott Patmore we have the right Gaffer to achieve this.
“Off the pitch we are looking to build back the identity of Rayners Lane and help the club get back to where it needs to be after a lot of changes behind-the-scenes over recent years.
“We have already started getting the core members back involved at the club after they have been absent for a few seasons. It’s a long term goal to help the sustainability return to a club that many people care about.
“For me personally, I have an obsession with keeping clean sheets. However, I am aware it will be much harder this season to keep goals out with the quality of players we will come up against, but overall, if I can just help the team climb the table with solid performances I’ll be happy!”
IMAGE | Rayners Lane FC
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