Olly Deed on a positive change in mood for the Bricks

Hadley FC in action in the Southern League against Waltham Abbey — Hadley in action against Waltham Abbey – (Credit – Chris Forster)

As mentioned in a previous edition of Barnet Post, the Bricks have had a challenging start to their second season in the Southern League. Multiple defeats to better financed opponents saw the club languishing at the bottom of the table, and out of every cup competition that they had entered.

How things have changed! Three home wins in a row over the Christmas and New Year period have rather changed the mood at the club, with pessimism giving way to a steady, but realistic, optimism. The last of those three wins, against play-off chasing Waltham Abbey was arguably the best game of the season – a Jordan Edwards goal deep into injury time secured three points, in a 4-3 thriller.

That capped a three game winning streak that included vital victories over fellow strugglers Stotfold and Thame United. Without those nine points, the Bricks would be rock bottom in the league, and contemplating life back at Step Five in the non-league pyramid.

Looking ahead, there is a lot to play for. The Bricks are not home and dry. They are still only three points off the relegation zone, and 11 points off the play-offs. Big and challenging games lie ahead, including away fixtures at league leaders North Leigh, and promotion chasing Bedford Town, who operate on a different financial level to the Bricks.

However, fans will recall, and hope for a repeat of, the heroics of the second half of last season, which almost resulted in a play-off spot. A repeat of that looks like a rather tall order, but we live in hope. Whatever happens in the second half of the season, there will be plenty of goals and entertainment, and our gates are open for anyone wanting to sample the joy of local non-league football. You won’t be disappointed.

This is one of a series of reports on local football clubs – you can also read updates from Wingate and Finchley and Hendon.

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