Enfield Town’s record goalscorer, Liam Hope, believes the Towners can use the disappointment of missing out on the play-offs as motivation next season but is unsure whether he will be around.

A three-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player saw Town tumble out of the Isthmian Premier Division play-offs to be replaced by sixth-placed Metropolitan Police, who lost to eventual runners-up Hendon in the semi-finals.

However, despite the sour ending it was still a memorable season for the club who fought back from a disastrous start to claim a play-off berth just 12 short months after a miraculous final-day survival act under George Borg.

The club appealed unsuccessfully against the guilty verdict for fielding midfielder Aryan Tajbakhsh in two matches when he should have been suspended and elected not to appeal any further.

But Hope believes every cloud has a silver lining and said: “I expect the manager will want to spur people on next season and I don’t see any reason why we can kick on.

“It has taken a while to get the decision and when it finally came we were not massively surprised. We are just disappointed for all the officials at the club who have worked so hard on the case and the supporters too.”

But the striker remains upbeat about the club’s chances of bouncing back next season and mounting another push for the top-five places.

Hope reasoned: “Forget the end of the season. We still finished fifth and beat pretty much every side in the play-off places including Hendon and Margate home and away, which proves we have nothing to fear.

“It should be quite an open division next season,” he added.

Whether or not the club’s record scorer, who broke Rudi Hall’s previous tally of 106 goals against Margate in November, will be around to add to his total remains unclear though.

The former North Leigh and Didcot Town hitman has not yet discussed his future with boss Bradley Quinton – who is currently on holiday – and was unsure as to whether he would remain at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium next term.

“If I am honest I am not particularly sure [if I will be here next season,” admitted Hope. “I have been on holiday for a few days so I have not always been available to speak but I am sure we will have that conversation sooner or later and go from there.

“I know a number of discussions have begun but I have not had a discussion with Bradley yet, though I have had a number of chats with him over the course of the season.”

But regardless of whether Hope’s future remains with Town, the forward is confident the experiences of the 2014/15 campaign will stand the club in good stead next season.

“We have developed a much stronger winning mentality,” he stated. “In the last couple of years we have been fight down at the bottom but now we have been nearer the top we have dealt with the pressure this season, particularly against teams who have come here looking for a draw.”

Asked if teams would take the Towners even more seriously next season, Hope replied: “I think perhaps early in the season they may and you have to earn that respect because do not automatically do as well as we have done again.

“You only need to look at AFC Hornchurch, who were in the play-offs last year and got relegated this season. If we are able to keep most the squad who are here – and that becomes a problem after doing well – there is no reason why we can’t kick on.”