Eton Manor head coach Jamie Connors admits it would be hard to rally his players for the play-offs if they lose their title shoot-out against Colchester on Saturday but insists Manor deserve to go up.

Manor currently trail league-leaders Colchester by two points in London League One North after Saturday’s 29-21 victory at North Walsham and will now meet the Essex side knowing the winner takes all.

It would be a case of third time lucky for Manor, who have agonisingly missed out on promotion in the play-offs in each of the last two campaigns.

However, Connors believes Manor’s time is now and looking ahead to the game, he stressed: “Promotion was our target this year and the last two years. We have progressed and collectively, we are the two best sides in the division. But as the saying goes, only one can go up.

“It would still be a great achievement [to end up in the play-offs] but we will be disappointed because we have given ourselves a great opportunity to win the league at home and we have not lost a home game in quite a long time.”

Connors, who joined the club two years ago, continued: “A home play-off tie would be fantastic for the club; hopefully there would be a good crowd and it would be good for the bar takings and everything. It would be hard to get them (the players) up for it but we will manage it.”

Manor missed out on automatic promotion on the final day of last season, beating Luton 27-19 only to see leaders Westcliff topple a North Walsham side, who were previously unbeaten at home, 40-26 to seal the title.

The play-offs were no kinder to Manor, who missed out 25-16 against an unknown quantity in Chichester. But Connors insists the chastening experience has served to improve his side this time around.

He explained: “The play-off game was lost but out of it we have recognised we needed to make a change and focus on a few areas to improve – scoring more tries and getting more bonus points, which has cost us in previous years.”

Manor opened their 2014/15 campaign by edging out Colchester 15-14 but they very nearly lost out after the hosts missed a last-gasp penalty which would have sealed a dramatic win.

However, Connors does not believe the win over their title rivals counts for anything nine months later. He said: “It is a bit of a strange thing that the team you play first you play last but the rest you play in chronological order.

“I don’t think it will mean too much, it will be down to who can absorb the pressure on the day. It is a bit different to a normal league fixture. We have got play-off experience and they have not – which could count for something and we have also beaten Colchester in the last five games since I have been in charge.”

Kick-off at the New Wilderness is at 3pm.

Elsewhere in London League One North, Chingford lost 35-8 at Colchester on Saturday, while Woodford were brushed aside 55-21 by Ruislip.

In London League Three North East, Wanstead eased past Beccles 52-28. And in Essex League One, Epping Upper Clapton beat Pegasus Palmerians 57-21.