Ryan Walmsley reports from the Hive…
New Year’s Day – Barnet squeeze past Aldershot 1-0 at The Hive and stretch their lead at the summit of the Conference Premier to nine points. A result that typified the Bees’ season – finding a way to win despite a far from perfect performance.
Since that 1-0 victory, however, Barnet’s progress has stuttered. Five defeats from the next eight games has seen their lead evaporate, and for the first time this season the Bees are not perched atop of the non-league’s highest tier.
One of the league’s tightest defences has become porous – the back line has leaked 16 goals in the past eight matches – and what was once a prolific attack has only managed to score more than once in game on two occasions since the turn of the year.
The last eight games is the first spell of adversity faced by the Bees this season. But after eventually slipping from the top of the league, the manager addressed the fans in an open letter calling for unity during the final run-in.
Martin Allen said, “I had a long chat yesterday morning with the players and reminded each and every one of them that they are good players; that they are a good team and that with nine games to go it is in our hands.
“I told the Chairman early on Monday morning that I have total faith in everyone in our squad. I told him that these are the players that got us to the top, that these are the players who have played a cup final every week and that these are the players who can fulfil all of our goals. So nobody will be joining.
“They are a tremendous group of people that train hard, who conduct themselves in the right way, and now they need to get their shoulders back, take a few deep breaths and show how good they are – and I think that your backing of all of our players is essential.
“Each and every one of us must give it everything that we have got, no ifs and buts. It is in our hands and we must all grab it.”
Most noticeable is Allen’s belief in the players he has, and the boss has no intentions of disrupting the balance of the squad. The only transfer activity for the Bees since the end of January is the extension of Conor Clifford’s loan until the end of the season.
Closest competitors Bristol Rovers and Macclesfield have contrasting form to the Bees – both have lost just once in their past ten games, meaning the title run-in has become a three-horse race despite Barnet’s mid-season form leading everyone to believe they’d romp to title down the home straight.
Barnet are two points behind Bristol Rovers with a game in hand so their Football League fate stills lies in their own hands, and with four of the remaining nine games coming against teams in the bottom five, the Bees must grab their chance at lifting the Conference Premier title.