National League 2024-25 Awards
Ryan Deeney of NL Musings picks his National League manager, player, young player, goal, assist, save and team of the 2024-25 season.
It’s awards season. I have to join in the fun.
Barnet and York City unsurprisingly take much of the gold but I’ve enjoyed being able to talk up players and moments for Braintree Town, Ebbsfleet United, Tamworth, FC Halifax Town, Southend United and Altrincham too.
Without further ado, the NL Musings 2024-25 awards.
Manager of the season: Dean Brennan
Dean Brennan joined Barnet as Head of Football with the club in a mess. They had avoided relegation to the regionals due to COVID stopping the season and he was made caretaker manager within two months of the 2021-22 campaign starting after a chaotic start under Harry Kewell. Bit by bit, he has bred success. Ruthless decisions, good recruitment, high demands. And in 2024-25, despite the challenges of clubs who have much bigger budgets, Brennan has reached his preferred target of over 100 points and taken Barnet back into the Football League. It’s the 44-year-old's third promotion in management and now he gets the opportunity to tackle the Football League for the first time.
Player of the season: Anthony Hartigan
I’m a simple guy and sometimes, the simple option is the best one. Barnet won the league. Barnet were the best performing team in the league, both in results and performances. Anthony Hartigan was, to my eyes, their best player. Therefore, he wins player of the season. The 25-year-old has been a revelation since joining Barnet, starting every single league game since his full debut at the start of last season and his ability to dictate matches for a side that play such a high pressing, high tempo, high possession game has been crucial to the Bees’ success.
Young player of the season: Kyrell Lisbie
Firstly, I’m aware people have different rules for this award. For me, it is anybody aged 21 or under at the end of the season. Surprisingly, it narrows it down a lot – this has not been a year for young players playing regularly in the National League with only six players finishing the season aged 21 or under have started 30 or more matches: George Morrison, Finley Barbrook, Dylan Hill, Angel Waruih, Kyrell Lisbie and Frankie Maguire. Truthfully, it could be any of them. Why Lisbie? He’s the player I’ve had the most fun watching of the group. His speed and directness has makes him a joy to watch and I’m a sucker for a player with such individualistic qualities. He finishes with 13 league goals and was a big part of Braintree Town’s survival.
Goal of the season: Sean McGurk vs Ebbsfleet United
Goals from halfway. Thumping strikes. Moments of brilliance. The goal of the season competition has been as strong as ever this year. Initially, 20 made the cut and that was reduced to five. And I plumped the moment of brilliance. Sure, it was against Ebbsfleet United, but that doesn’t mean it’s not brilliant. McGurk’s first touch isn’t the best but he’s aware of the challenge from Ben Chapman and produces a lovely Cruyff turn. He drives forward before nutmegging Alexander Aoraha, taking another couple of touches then firing in off the near post.
Assist of the season: Ben Milnes vs Hartlepool United
I found assist of the season tough. There are some defence splitting passes. There are some nice skills before a pass, but none that allow for a first time finish. A couple of longer passes. Then this. And I’m plumped for this because of the simplistic brilliance of it. The ball is passed backwards with little intention but Ben Milnes’ experience takes over. He runs onto the ball and crosses while the Hartlepool defence aren’t expecting it and his striker is, Jordan Ponticelli reading the cross and finishing.
Save of the season: Mark Cousins vs York City
It’s fairly early on in the season and Ebbsfleet United are finding life tough. They would even lose this game 4-0. But Mark Cousins is one of few to come out of the campaign with some sympathy based on his performances behind a defence that struggled for consistent selection and performance. York City break down the right-hand side and put a low ball into the box. Josh Wright gets the touch towards goal with Cousins forced to react sharply to push the ball wide and he gets up quickly to leap once more, his outstretched arm denying Tyrese Sinclair an easy finish.
Team of the Season
GK: Sam Johnson (FC Halifax Town)
Truthfully, it has not been a stellar season for goalkeepers. Only ten clubs in the division had a goalkeeper that played 75% of minutes, for a start and using data from Wyscout, only seven prevented more goals than they conceded against the shots they faced. With that in mind, I’m going for Sam Johnson, who until his end of season injury was an ever-present for FC Halifax Town for years in succession. The experienced keeper was as strong as ever in net behind the youngest side in the division and his absence is felt.
RCB: Adam Senior (FC Halifax Town)
Adam Senior played every single minute of the league campaign. I’ll get to the rest, but that is a fantastic achievement. He was the only player under the age of 30 to manage that feat and one of just four outfielders under the age of 24 to play at least 3600 league minutes. He was also the only one of those players to manage that for a team that finished in the top half and he has shown real growth in his second full season at the Shay, taking on more of a leadership role for a young group.
CCB: Callum Howe (York City)
York City have been a lot of fun this season. Their 95 goals and +53 goal difference was the best in the league by some distance outside of eventual league winners Barnet and it’s the attack that has received so much credit. However, it’s hard to produce without players that know the job and Callum Howe has stepped up, the 31-year-old donning the armband, leading by example, showing growth in his own game and playing every league minute of the National League campaign.
LCB: Myles Kenlock (Barnet)
Myles Kenlock hasn’t had a particularly easy career, unable to truly breakthrough at Ipswich Town and eventually finding himself in the National League, involved in back-to-back relegation fights. He decided to join Barnet in the summer and has had the best season of his career, a near ever-present until a late season injury. He has often played on the left-side of a back three and his quality as a defender, ball-player and physicality has shone as part of a well-oiled unit.
RWB: Gus Scott-Morriss (Southend United)
The numbers speak for themselves with this selection. Here’s a right wing-back that has started 44 matches as part of an excellent defensive unit and provided sufficient support going forward to find the net 17 times. He sits 5th in the non-penalty goals list with the nearest defensive players being Ludwig Francillette and Ryan Glover. His consistent performances have been a huge reason as to why Southend have been able to claw their way into the top seven.
RCM: Joe Felix (York City)
Joe Felix had to be in this team. Another who had played for Adam Hinshelwood previously, the versatile 25-year-old has had the season of his career. It doesn’t matter whether he is playing right-back, left-back or in central midfield, whether he is tasked with a role higher up the pitch, out wide or deeper, he does the job to the best of his ability with speed, energy and tenacity and has been an enormous part of the second best side in the league.
LCM: Anthony Hartigan (Barnet)
See above.
LWB: Ryan Glover (Barnet)
I’ve quietly been a fan of Ryan Glover for a while now. He has gone from a slight winger with decent acceleration to a dependable option in any area of the pitch he is asked to cover. This season, the ex-Bournemouth youngster has played on both flanks, central midfield, part of a front three and has been busy, creative and a constant threat. He finishes the season with a career best 17 goal contributions and deserves his opportunity in the EFL.
RAM: Callum Stead (Barnet)
Like a lot of Barnet’s players, Stead is dependable. He turns up almost every week, plays whatever role he is asked to and his work ethic, speed and quality has led him to become a regular for the best team in the division and led to his personal best season. Now 25, Stead is looking more like a man and finishes up third in the goal contributions list with 27, showing he’s as capable as creating as he is finishing.
LAM: Regan Linney (Altrincham)
Near the start of the season, Phil Parkinson stated that in Regan Linney, Altrincham had a 20-goal striker provided he could avoid injuries. He netted 13 the previous campaign in a fairly stop-start first season as a professional footballer. This year he played 42 times and scored 23 goals, finding his role as a forward who can step inside from wide positions and strike a ball with accuracy and power towards goal.
ST: Ollie Pearce (York City)
So close to being named my player of the season, Ollie Pearce has had an outstanding first season in non-league's top tier. The ex-Worthing man linked back up with former boss Adam Hinshelwood this summer and has cemented himself as the main man in York City’s attack despite the riches around him. The 29-year-old finished up with 41 goal contributions in the regular season, scoring 31 with 10 assists. Of those 31 goals, 23 were non-penalty and 16 were the opener in matches.
Can't disagree with any of those selections.