Manager Chris Cummins will give youth an opportunity as Kings Langley look to continue their unbeaten 2020 after a weather-enforced break.

The in-form Southern League Premier Central club have seen their last three fixtures postponed, but will be aiming to continue their climb up the table when they travel to Rushall Olympic on Saturday seeking to extend an eight-game undefeated league run dating back to New Year’s Day.

That sequence of six wins and two draws has lifted Kings to tenth in the table, six points behind their next opponents who occupy the final play-off place.

The Langley boss admits he’s playing down the prospect of a top-five finish and said: “If we make the play-offs, great. From where we were when I first came in to only be six points off the play-offs, we’ve got a couple of games in hand on people, is a great achievement.

“The belief in the players is they’re going to make the play-offs, they’ve got that momentum, but we’ve got a small squad, it’s important we manage it well and if we lose one or two it will affect us.”

Cummins will be without the injured pair of Roddy Collins and Harry Crawford for the trip to the Walsall-based club, but does have Gary Connolly and Lloyd Doyley available again. However, he is intending to reward Edu Toiny-Pendred with a place in the starting line-up after a couple of impressive substitute appearances following his return to the club, while fellow teenager Jack Wood is set to be on the bench.

The Kings manager has previously held senior youth coaching positions at Watford, Luton Town and Reading. Given this background, it is no surprise that he is keen to develop this aspect of the club at the Orbital Fasteners Stadium where senior players, such as Jordan Parkes and Will Hoskins, will act as mentors for the younger squad members.

He said: “Next year we’re going to improve our Under-18s. We’ve got a couple of new coaches that are going to come and join and we’ve got a good group of players that are looking to come and play in the Under-18s and they will get an opportunity to play in the first team.

“Jack Wood and Edu getting the opportunity within the group I’ve got with the likes of Parkesy, Hoskins, Harry Crawford, Roddy Collins, it shows you will get an opportunity at Kings Langley if you’re good enough.”

He added: “I want to get four or five outstanding Under-18s in our squad, they’ll get mentored by the senior players and they’ll also get the opportunity to play. There’s no point me taking them if I’m not going to play them, and I will play them.

"It keeps the senior boys on their toes as well to keep progressing, but the group of players we’ve got here is very encouraging so it’s a good environment for them to learn."

Cummins has one eye on the longer term, but Kings’ hopes for the remainder of this season will largely rest on an experienced core of players and continuing to operate within a limited budget.

Asked what he attributes a run of form that has seen his side suffer only one league defeat in their last 11 outings, Cummins responded: “I put it down to good players taking on board everything we’re doing and having a settled squad more than anything.

“I’m not a great one for loads and loads of changes. I’ve made my changes. If we can get a good squad of 18 players and we can keep adapting and going where we’re going that’s the key thing.”