Hendon manager Gary McCann has set his players a big challenge for their 2009-10 Ryman League Premier Division season.

While two seasons ago Hendon were still fighting for a playoff position on the last day of the season, the 2008-09 campaign was unforgettable for mainly the wrong reasons: the loss of Claremont Road, using five different 'home' grounds and a fight against relegation for much of the season, albeit with McCann getting his first taste of silverware as a manager with victory in the London Senior Cup final.

He said, "Our expectations have changed over the past 12 months. Last year was the most difficult I have known as a manager. With all that was going on my real goal was to avoid relegation and to have some success in the cups. That we stayed up and won the London Senior Cup means we achieved our targets.

"This season, I expect a top 10 finish and I expect us to challenge for the playoffs. I am now as comfortable as I have ever been here. Now that the groundshare with Wembley is in place, this is the most stable situation since I took over as manager.

"This is the strongest squad I think I've started a season with. My teams will match anyone in terms of commitment and effort and I think that our strikers are as good a group as I've had at Hendon. In any case, we will always try to play the right way.

"We have a demanding start to the season, but we will soon be able to see where we are and I am really looking forward to the trip to Bognor Regis on 15 August."