Haringey Borough manager Tom Loizou says it will be difficult to improve on Saturday’s performance against Soham Town Rangers after his side triumphed 6-0 at Coles Park and moved within a point of the play-off spots in Ryman League Division One North.

Borough went ahead after just four minutes as Adrian Markus put away Ralston Gabriel’s cross from six yards, and Gabriel then doubled the lead on 37 minutes before Anthony McDonald made it 3-0 before half-time, scoring with a deceptive curling shot from outside the area.

That came just moments after Markus’ spectacular overhead kick was saved at point-blank range by Niall Conroy.

With the visitors as good as beaten, the second half took a similar course. Gabriel got his second goal, and Ali Setirekli and substitute Chris Benjamin added their names to the scoresheet as Borough jumped four places up the table into seventh.

“Last weekend against Tilbury [in the 1-1 draw] we played just as well and created even more chances,” Loizou told Ham&High Sport. “We just managed to bag a few this time. Their keeper was the busiest player on the pitch – it could have been double figures if it wasn’t for him.

“It’s very hard to improve on that performance, but we’ve got players coming back from injury who can strengthen the side. I had to leave my captain and my vice-captain out on Saturday and I will have to rotate the squad - but the way the team played, it’s going to be very hard for me to change the side this week.

“We’ve had a good chat with the players. We’ve got 15 games left and if we want to get into the play-offs we’ve got to go out and try to win all 15 of them - there’s no margin for error now.

“We’ve had a good season. We’ve had a light-hearted season, but now it’s down to business and we really need to pay back the chairman.”

Haringey’s new left-back Michael O’Donoghue made his debut against Soham Town, and Loizou is pleased with the acquisition.

“We got him from Colchester – he’s been a pro there for two or three years,” said Borough’s manager. “I don’t think they were going to renew his contract at the end of this year so we asked him if he could come and play for us. We’ve been looking for someone naturally left-footed to play in that position for the last two years.

“It’s not easy playing on a strange surface and with team-mates you’ve only met a couple of times, but I thought he had a reasonably good game for us.

“For me, the outstanding player was Ralston Gabriel – he worked very hard for the team. He’s got pace, strength and an eye for goal, and it all came out on Saturday. We gave him a more advanced position to help Adrian, and it worked.”

Haringey’s next two home games are against Phoenix Sports this Saturday and then Cheshunt – both sides that are also in the hunt for the play-offs - while Borough will visit Dereham Town in between on February 4.

“We’re going into the Phoenix Sports game with confidence,” said Loizou. “We beat them 3-0 away when they were top of the league, and we drew with Cheshunt away when they were top.

“There’s a bit of extra spice for the Cheshunt game as I used to manage them, so there will be a lot of talk and they’re only a few miles down the road. I think that will be a hard game – looking at their last few results they’ve improved – but we’re more than capable of beating them.”