Toolstation NCEL Division One
Darren Barnes says surprise package Horbury Town are focused on “creating memories”, not league tables as they continue to upset the applecart.
Horbury have enjoyed a stunning and heart-warming start to life as a Non League club.
Despite low resources, Horbury are second and have even beat a strong Guiseley side in the West Riding County Cup.
“It is about creating memories and that’s what we keep saying to each other,” Barnes told Non League Yorkshire.
“Retirement will quickly creep up on people and when they’re talking to their friends we want them to talk about nights like Guiseley.
“When you talk about being second in the league, winning six on the bounce, winning games by the margins we are…they are all great memories.
“There’s no expectations on us.
“Teams around us and teams below are carrying a little bit of expectation on their shoulders.
“For us it is about enjoying each game and continue to keep mounting the pressure on those teams.
“Because it is our first season (in the NCEL) we are kind of expected to lose.
“It shouldn’t be a shock factor if we do drop points.
“I just hope we continue as we are and stay in that mix.
“We had our blip in form but we’re coming out of the other end of that.
“We’re sat in second position and if we can get one-or-two wins on the bounce, they’ll be a bit of a gap between us and sixth.
“For us now because of what we’re seeing ourselves do to teams, you want to stay in the top five.
“Getting to 35 points is the first goal and we’re on 28 so have seven points to get in 20-odd games.
“If you said (this time last year) we would be mid-table I probably wouldn’t have believed you.
“If the season finished now and we finished mid-table we’d take it.
“A lot of people might say ‘that’s mad, you’re second and pushing for the play-offs’ but we haven’t played everyone yet and we won’t know about this league until we have played everyone twice.”
If you watch Horbury regularly you will have seen a lot of goals.
The Wakefield-based side have already hit the net 43 times in the league.
A vast amount of goals have been scored late in second halves.
“We’re a fit side and we have a lot of pace,” he said.
“As a game goes on players get tired and we seem to be find more gears.”
The free-flowing football has also helped drive the increase in fan-base.
“Results like the last three (big wins over Dronfield Town, Guiseley and Worsbrough Bridge) help,” he said.
“It is entertaining football.
“People want to watch a good game of football and locally I’d say we are the most entertaining team around.
“If you look at the Wakefield district I’d say we were the most entertaining side on paper at the moment.”
Horbury host Swallownest tomorrow.