Catch Us If You Can

The slipstream is open, but can the pace be matched?

Remember that phrase I coined for a long while a few years ago. Trust The Process. People were sceptical, so easy to not see the wood for the trees in that particular point.

Now, this isn’t a blog to sit there and say, ‘I told you so’, wouldn’t achieve much and I’m not here to rub people up the wrong way. People did buy into it, slowly but surely and while we won’t see fully if it all bears fruit for another three months, we know we’re walking down the right path.

I’m writing this after another two home victories over Maidenhead Utd and Hartlepool Utd, two very different games but two very crucial victories in cementing top spot and becoming the team to chase once again.

A combination of weather and not being able to get to The Hive in December I hadn’t set foot in camp since the end of November although I did get to Eastleigh and one or two more on DAZN.

It’s always nice to get back amongst friends, a beer with Ian Elliott before the Saturday fixture and a quick catch up with Nick Patel and Lee Crocker before kick-off. I’ve been frequenting the opposite side for most part this season, my simple reason is five hours minimum in a car is ample time to sit down, I much prefer to stand wherever I watch my football.

But also, you can hear a heck of lot from our bench, actions are more noticeable and understanding of what they want from the boys on the pitch. Here we struck up with two very different games of football.

As many teams do coming to The Hive, Maidenhead sat in for a draw. We’re used to that, as are the MT and the players. I respect teams and opposition MT’s knowing they can’t go toe to toe always on the pitch, what I don’t understand is why after going a goal behind they stuck to the same game plan, but their draw capability had gone, very bizarre.

As a fan I can’t get behind that, you’re losing the game, the GP is now out the window, give it go and if you draw level, sit back in, strange mentality for me in my opinion and one I can’t get fathom.

It should have been six or seven by the end, the number of chances created match each week, the level being finished is low. Before Tuesday night’s game we had 199 more good level entries into the opposition penalty area than York City, get your head around that. We sit top scorers in the National League, realistically we should be 20 goals or maybe more clear of our current total, similar to Nicke Kabamba who should have left the club with more to his name.

Dean has said from early on this season it could well come down to goal difference, of course it won’t however if we win out every single game, but you have to be prepared for the eventuality.

I did clear through on Twitter some points on the game, we picked up some good areas to pick pockets and work through the lanes. We look to do that every games, some you have to work harder than others to make it happen.

The two wingbacks, Ryan Glover and Idris Kanu were outstanding to the point of being unplayable. Last season we lacked output from that position, rectify that in the summer bringing in Ryan and number improve. Idris we know on his day can be one of the best ball carriers in this position.

Defensively, he’s been more sound than going forward which is fantastic for our back three and I want to see that consistency going the other way week after week, more on that a little later. A controlled finish for his goal, teed up by Zak Brunt, I like that composure.

Brunty himself is coming back to form. Started the season smartly, on fire, finding the pockets, breaking the lines and then form dropped. It does, it happens for players, it’s all about the reaction to it. A spell out of the team worked in my opinion and now he’s back on the money. He knows he should have had two maybe three goals on Saturday but better he’s in the right place than not, and let’s not forget that delicious cross for Glover to head in.

What also helped I feel is Lee Ndlovu. My first look at the big man, pretty impressed. Hold up play was excellent, what we’ve really needed and that brought not just Brunt but Callum Stead into the game more. He’ll feel that one on one should have been goal number one but that was to come.

All in all, a comfortable win that took the Bees back to the top of the table on Saturday evening so let’s move onto Tuesday night and once more a test of the resolve with not so many Saturday-Tuesday scenarios for us this season.

Hartlepool certainly bought a different challenge to The Hive. Better players to carry out their instructions yes but also looked to sit in like Saturday’s opponents. An extra midfielder certainly made the task more difficult, less pockets of space to utilise and cutting off the lines keeping shape meant we needed a little more than the weekend.

That didn’t stop entries into the box however, Lee Ndlovu had another great one on one, found the keeper’s chest and not the net however, Brunt’s rasping drive, well controlled on hit, the keeper fairly lucky I felt to tip it onto the bar. No penalty for me on Danny Collinge, yet to see the clumsy challenge on Ndlovu close to the goal line, however.

Not so much frustration at half time for me, knew it would be a different and tougher test, what we do know is sides tire late on, we run like Forrest Gump week in, week out and slight tweaks sometimes is all it needs.

The second half we appeared to just step up one gear, the tempo was upped, and everything was being done quicker. As Danny Collinge alluded to on this week’s latest The Bee Brief podcast, the subtle changes made at half time make all the difference and we do that quite a lot even if you don’t notice.

The goal did come, perfectly flighted cross from Idris, Steady heads it on and Ryan Glover in the right place to volley home. Idris again was outstanding, prompting a tweet from Jeff Stelling. Shame the latter let himself down later in the evening, but that’s for another blog (keep your eyes out for that!)

Unlike Maidenhead, the visitors knew they had to balance risk with reward but on a cautious footing still. Once Barnet are in front at The Hive it’s difficult to get anything back, possession is conceded for the 90 minutes, and you have to work hard to make things happen.

Then came the moment we’d been waiting for, the first Lee Ndlovu goal in a Barnet shirt. A quick corner kick taken while the visitors were still organising themselves, the big man coming across the front post and sweeping a controlled finish into the net, great moment well deserved, and the celebrations show already how integrated he is within the squad.

Watching us this season you know we don’t sit back on leads, we go for more goals and at times marauding forward with four players heading for the box to get on the end of a cross, teams at times can’t handle the movement and the intent.

What also summed up the performance was the outstanding block from Collinge with 20 odd minutes to play, the ball was lost around the half way line Manny Dieseruvwe sprinted away and his response to get back and not let the striker get a shot on target was simply immense, first player to fist bump him Lee Ndlovu! Commitment there to also track back and be the next player who would have tried the same had Dieseruvwe cut back instead, teamwork!

Four clean sheets in a row, very important and Owen Evans a huge part of that like Collinge above, you could argue that almost everyone in the starting eleven on Tuesday night is worth money, a money bid from other clubs, when did we last see that?

Hartlepool are very set in their ways, their shape etc. By taking everything up a notch and quickening the play that rigidness was flawed, we didn’t allow them time to regroup into position and ultimately caused their downfall.

Saturday begins the three month run in, 14 matches unbeaten, 17 more to go. It’s up to everyone else to catch us, should we lose within this next spell of games the important part is the reaction to it, it is also possible we don’t lose again this season.

Watching Barnet for as long as we have we know teams like this don’t come around too often. It’s been an evolvement over three years to get to this point, trusted in points where players have moved on only to be replaced by better, knowing our level and wanting to reach the next one, collectively from the boardroom, through the manager’s office and the changing room, onto the pitch and into the stands, we all play our part, Trust The Process….

If you’ve enjoyed reading this article or any other piece written by me, please feel free to ‘buy me a coffee’ or make a donation here, alternatively share this one on your socials with your fellow Bees fans.