Ambitious Harrow Borough boss Steve Baker is targeting promotion to the Conference South within three years after signing a new two-year contract.

Baker saved the Reds from relegation to Isthmian Division One having succeeded Dave Anderson as manager in February by picking up 28 points from his 15 league games in charge.

The former Chipstead boss also delivered silverware in the form of the Middlesex Senior Cup, as well as reaching the final of the Middlesex Charity Cup and the semi-finals of the London Senior Cup.

His reward is a two-year deal to remain at the helm at Earlsmead and speaking after inking his new agreement, Baker said: “I am delighted; it is the first contract I have signed at any level as a player, coach or manager in my whole career. So it is nice to see a reward for the hard work of last season.”

And now Baker’s attentions turn to finding a way out of the Isthmian Premier Division for Boro – only this time he’ll be looking to exit the division from the right end.

“For my own sanity, as much as anything, we do not want to be doing that (staying up) again,” laughed Baker.

“It is all very well and good to look back on now but it is not enjoyable at the time.

“My plans now are to try and get the club into the Conference South in the next three seasons,” he revealed.

“The main target will be to improve on this season, though. If we get another 15 to 18 points next season we could well be knocking on the door of the play-offs.

Baker did not last long in either of his previous job at Chipstead or Walton & Hersham but explained that was never likely to be the case with Harrow.

“Jobs like Harrow Borough do not come up very often,” stated Baker. “And there were mitigating circumstances at Walton. I had the chairman come down from the stand to start shouting instructions so I left pretty quickly. I enjoyed my time at Chipstead but I would have probably moved at the end of the season anyway because I felt I was coming to my end there and needed a new challenge.”

With his own future secured, Baker’s focus turns to putting together a squad capable of improving on last season’s 16th-place finish.

Baker expects the majority of his current squad to follow suit and agree to remain with Boro next term but is mindful of tying too many players to contracts, instead seeking non-contract arrangements.

“There are two or three additional names who I have spoken to who want to come down,” he confirmed.

“There have been quite a lot of contracts handed out in the past but I don’t want to do that because if you get injuries then you end up with a problem, so I will be looking to avoid doing that going forward.”