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Full Steam Aheed
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Steady does it…
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By:
Max Bygraves
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30/03/2025
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This article has been viewed 585 times.
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What do you suppose Brennan and the players said was their New Year’s resolution? A glance at our form in 2025 should carry parental guidance. It is obscene. We have kicked on and on and on and never looked back. I don’t apologise one bit if these are getting repetitive lately - we will be talking about these last few months for years to come.
Games I’ve attended this season can be broken down into three categories.
- Run of the mill games (though with more than run of the mill results) with the usual crowd, drive there and back, enjoy the football and a catch up. When looking at it with perspective, hugely appreciative of the routine nature of it.
- Silly days where myself and the people I behaved stupidly with when I was 20 forget how old we are now and very much ‘throw it back’ to our youth. Lots of fun. Could not do it every week though, thanks.
- A new category for this season: taking the kids. This was one of these. My three year old son undoubtedly is too young to truly appreciate it and won’t remember a thing in the long run. Nonetheless, I am extremely grateful that some of this amazing season has been a shared experience with him and his sister (she drew the short straw yesterday and went to watch Watford with her mum). If they do end up Barnet fans, it’ll be enjoyable to regale them with tales of witnessing this historic campaign.
Perhaps a little self-indulgent but there is something quite interesting about the stages of fandom based on where you are in your life. Maybe one for further exploration another time. Close season when we’re all bored, perhaps.
We got to the ground a little further ahead of kick off than normal on account of some absolutely excellent customer service from Barnet FC. The collective ‘we’ are quick to point out when something is done badly by the club, so I want to highlight here some really terrific communication with them this week.
I bought the kids Barnet shirts early in the new year for my son’s birthday. It’s his general shirt of choice for Sunday morning mini football class and has gone down well. Unfortunately, after just a handful of wears and washes, the badge was already peeling off his shirt. I sent a polite email to the club last Sunday highlighting the issue and asking if anything could be done.
An extremely pleasant chap called Jaun emailed back before lunchtime on Monday extremely apologetic and keen to help. Very generously, the club offered to give a replacement shirt or refund. The first option was always going to be the choice and we were able to pick up from reception pre-match. Top class communication and actions by the club there. Jaun is the man.
The ground was busy as kick off approached with a fair queue for the turnstiles at just gone quarter to three. It was moving and all good spirited though. With seven games to go, this can very much now be classed ‘business end,’ and the air of excitement was tangible.
As has become the very enjoyable norm, we began the game on the front foot and looked the more likely. We were almost given a very early gift from a dodgy back pass where the goalkeeper momentarily looked like he’d backed own goal first scorer. A weird dance around the ball to clear off the line with his preferred foot kept things scoreless.
It didn’t take long however and a very enjoyable moment brought the opener. Myles Kenlock, who has given reliable Simon Clist vibes all season, managed to go one better than his left sided compatriot from 2004/05. A delightful, powerful finish opened the scoring. The team’s huge reaction to the only regular starter yet to score finding the net was great to see. Togetherness, I think they call it?
Gateshead are in a rotten run of form but are by no means a bad side. A bogey team for us over the past three seasons, they showed signs of some adventure to get back into it. Just before the half hour mark, they really should have, when a one on one was clipped just past the post. A let off but there was certainly no sense of panic.
It wouldn’t be a National League game without the referee drawing attention for questionable calls. The same Gateshead player made two very rash challenges in the first half. The second led to a booking for a foul on Brunt. It was hard not to draw comparisons with Collinge’s straight red at Boston a few weeks ago. Consistency lacking.
With half time approaching and a small person’s concentration waning, we made for downstairs a little in advance. Thankfully, timing was just about ok to see Callum Stead sweep home the second. A great time to double the lead.
There is such an understandably good vibe around the place at the moment. As we walked down into the concourse, two police officers were alongside us just after the goal. One of them cheering the goal and saying ‘come on Barnet’ to my son very much added to his day. Small things. The steward in the blue jacket who was in Legends Bar at half time was similarly friendly acting as a ‘security guard’ whilst I co-ordinated carrying a round of drinks and directing a small child to a table through the crowds. It makes such a difference to the overall experience when there are smiles aplenty. Being so ridiculously good on the pitch certainly aids this.
The second half saw the tempo drop a little and there wasn’t much of note going on. The performance of Owen Evans once again caught the eye. So laid back he’s almost horizontal. Composed. Nonchalant. His impact has been nothing short of remarkable.
This was an adjective that perhaps could be used for the experience he had to endure in the 82nd minute - collecting the ball from his net. Only the second time he’s had to do this at The Hive since arriving in the first week of January. His antics to try and delay the restart (which earned him a booking) personally only add to the developing affection for him.
Gateshead took their goal very well and we then found ourselves in the unusual situation of some nerves towards the end of a home game. Sort of. With a lead like ours and the confidence shown over the past few months, was there ever that much doubt? An exceptionally loud, negative voice from somewhere behind sounded like they were watching 2021 Barnet see the game out - this aside, positivity remained.
In the 95th minute, a fantastic ‘seal the win’ strike from Callum Stead gave him a brace for the afternoon and secured a 3-1 win. Love a moment like that. An outpouring of some relief with an overriding sense of joy at another big step being taken.
The whistle blew moments later and saw further exuberant celebrations from a happy Dean Brennan in front of the stand. It is within touching distance now.
I can imagine the collective groan as Stead’s late goal came up on LiveScore at York City. A chink of hope quickly taken away. Although they do seem to have got things back together somewhat following two heavy wins this week. Too little too late but they’ll look to keep momentum for the playoffs.
It can’t be done at Braintree next week. Wealdstone the following Saturday does however remain a possibility. York play at 12.30 next weekend so we will kick off at Braintree with a slightly better idea of permutations.
As alluded to here before, any time but the Wealdstone game please due to absence. I feel like I’ve done my time this season and over the years to not miss out on the moment. Ideal scenario for me would be that game puts us on the verge ahead of a big party on Good Friday. Have I been losing sleep over the prospect of missing out on the day we clinch it? Possibly.
Certainly had worse problems in my time supporting this club. Glorious days. Happy memories being made personally and collectively on a weekly basis at the moment. Here’s to some more fun in Essex next Saturday.
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