National League Half Term Team of the Season

I first started putting this team together before Christmas and felt pretty confident with my selections. Three weeks later, I’m preparing to write up my rationales and I’m finding every reason to doubt myself.

For the second time in a month, I sat down, wrote each position and collated a list of players that have played regularly during the league season. I then cherry-picked those that caught my eye and slowly whittled that list down. Thankfully, I came out with a very similar selection of players. Clearly, I was onto something.  

 

That’s not to say I haven’t made a couple of changes to the final XI. For example, Callum Howe and Ruben Rodrigues made the initial cut. Matty Palmer and Michael Cheek didn’t. And from start to finish, I’ve been really torn over whether to choose Joel Senior or Kane Smith at right-back.  

 

As ever, the 11 players selected had to form as an actual football team, not just a collection of 11 players, otherwise it would have been a pointless exercise calling this a "team" of the season.

 

Hopefully my rationale for each player makes sense. And if you disagree, please feel free to let me know @NLMusings.  

 

 

GK: Ryan Boot 

 

Ryan Boot missed the first three games of this season. He may have missed the entire campaign given that he was officially released in the summer. By the time he returned, Solihull Moors were under the stewardship of Neal Ardley, were winless and had conceded seven goals. Boot has since started 19 league matches and conceded just 16 goals, keeping 10 clean sheets along the way. They’ve conceded more than one goal on just four occasions in that time. It’s some record. And while it’s clearly not a solo effort, the excellent @notts_stats shared an image on 5th December that showed Ryan Boot had the best save percentage of any goalkeeper in the division. Boot has fan-favourite status at Solihull Moors and he has shown why this term.  

 

 

RB: Joel Senior 

 

From a selfish point of view, I’m gutted that Joel Senior has joined Carlisle United. This is a player that stepped up a couple of divisions when joining Altrincham but quickly established himself as a regular despite more experienced competition. Not only did he make the right-back spot his own, he thrived and watching his development over the last 18 months has been a joy. Senior has shown himself to be an all-rounder at right-back, offering tenacity and one-on-one defending as well as progression of the ball from deep and creating chances for his team-mates – he has nine assists this season despite not taking set-pieces. It’s easy to see why League Two Carlisle United took the plunge and the only surprise is that his move didn’t come sooner.  

 

 

RCB: Niall Maher 

 

Niall Maher being handed with the captain’s armband last summer was just reward for his gradual transformation into a leader at FC Halifax Town and he is thriving with it on his arm. The 26-year-old has been a regular under Pete Wild but with a small squad and a limited budget, Maher’s versatility became pivotal, occasionally filling in at full-back and in midfield. Having acted as vice-captain last season, he took on the armband permanently when Nathan Clarke departed. His role has taken on even more importance with Danny Williams and Jake Hyde departing and Luke Summerfield and Martin Woods being reduced to bit-part roles due to the form of others. Starting every league game at centre-back, Maher has led by example for the side with the third best defensive record in the division while playing between the younger Tom Bradbury and either Jay Benn and Tyrell Warren.  

 

 

LCB: Jamal Fyfield 

 

Boreham Wood have played 19 matches this season and conceded just 13 goals, keeping 11 clean sheets. Unsurprisingly, it’s the best record in the division and Jamal Fyfield has been ever-present. The 32-year-old has been a man mountain in the Wood’s defence, offering a real presence on the ground and in the air. He’s key figure for Luke Garrard, a manager whose preference is for his team to be strong, hard to beat and get first contact on balls into his box. More impressive still is how Fyfield has moved across from centre-back to left-centre-back so seamlessly in the absence of Femi Ilesanmi. It’s little wonder his manager values him so highly. 

 

 

LB: Jacob Mendy 

 

Truthfully, left-back was a tricky position. Jacob Mendy, Calvin Miller and Jack Senior have all been excellent for their respective clubs, all three have been part of defences that don’t concede goals and all three provide a different threat for the side in an attacking sense. It was difficult to pick one over the others. I’ve plumped for Mendy. Last year, it was hard not to love Jacob Mendy with his outrageous strikes from distance and the constant threat he posed with that left boot, eventually being moved higher up the pitch in a bid to remove his defensive responsibilities and provide a threat in the final third. That he has responded so positively to being part of a unit that prioritises first contacts, defensive resilience and organisation speaks volumes of his temperament and understanding of the game, starting every game for Luke Garrard at left wing-back and continuing to offer a threat in the final third. It’s been a solid opening innings for the ex-Carshalton Athletic man and I’m expecting to grow even stronger as the season continues.  

 

 

DM: Matt Palmer 

 

Notts County are playing the type of football not often seen at National League level but it’s working – Ian Burchnall explained as much during an impressive sit-down interview. Sure, they’re not top of the division, but they aren’t far off top spot. In order to play the kind of free-flowing, possession football that enables your attackers and wing-backs to spend most of their game in the opposition final third and your centre-backs to make forward runs, you need a deep-lying midfielder that can dictate, switch play, find those forward passes and generally not give the ball away. Matt Palmer was a real coup in the summer for Notts County given he had previously spent his entire career in the EFL and he is performing like a player that is a cut above the level, because ultimately, he is.  

 

 

CM: Kieran Green 

 

Last season, Kieran Green played largely as an attacking midfielder for FC Halifax Town. He was good. He slowly cemented himself as a regular in the side, offered a goal threat, played some gorgeous passes and appeared to be a bit of an all-rounder. However, Green was behind the experienced pair of Luke Summerfield and Martin Woods when the season started. Then a Summerfield injury gave Green a chance. Then a Woods injury meant Kian Spence got a chance. In the space of a week, Green went from first start to senior midfielder and he has revelled in it. The 24-year-old offers a steady presence at the base of midfield, protecting his back four and is key to Halifax"s work in transition, moving the ball forward and quickly.

 

CM: Armani Little 

 

For about a year, Armani Little dropped in and out of the Torquay United squad and there was always clamour from supporters to see more of him. Clearly, he had something about him. However, I’d never personally seen him play and wondered what the fuss was about. At the back end of last season, he finally put a run of games together and showed what he was about. This season, he stepped up another level. He has played consistently and done a job for the team despite playing several roles in midfield and alongside numerous partners. He has reached double figures for goals already, seven of which were Torquay’s first in matches, and really stood tall in the absence of others. An up and down season for The Gulls would have had far more downs without Armani Little.  

 

 

AM: Joe Sbarra 

 

As somebody who was a regular follower of Solihull Moors pre-COVID, I always liked Sbarra but never thought of him as a killer. He was a player that worked hard but whose lack of size and stature often worked against him, even as part of Jimmy Shan’s possession-heavy side. That has changed this season. He looks sharper, quicker, he’s more direct on and off the ball, sets the tone when it comes to pressing and is getting himself into the box and onto the end of chances. He’s been a revelation this term and isn’t showing signs of slowing down.  

 

 

ST: Kabongo Tshimanga 

 

Probably the most obvious selection in the division. Kabongo Tshimanga has scored 18 goals in 20 matches for the side with the best points per game average in the division. Not just that, he’s done it for a side who have struggled to name the same XI game after game because of injuries. Tshimanga has started with Danny Rowe, Stefan Payne, Akwasi Asante, Saidou Khan, Jim Kellermann and Liam Mandeville. The defence and midfield have constantly chopped and changed. And regardless of the team, Tshimanga has usually scored, including key goals against Boreham Wood, Solihull Moors and Grimsby Town. It’s little wonder he’s being linked with a move to the Championship.  

 

 

ST: Michael Cheek 

 

This was tough. Michael Cheek, Tahvon Campbell or Ruben Rodrigues? I’ve gone with Cheek. Firstly, he’s the second top goalscorer in the division with 15 goals and responsible for almost 40% of Bromley’s goals. Secondly, while Bromley have an experienced backline and central midfield, Cheek is often surrounded by some young boys – George Alexander, Jude Arthurs and Marcus Sablier have become regulars – meaning his own experience and ability to hold the ball, bring people into play and take on the goalscoring burden becomes all the more important. And thirdly, he has scored his team's first goal in a game on 8 occasions, more than any other player in the division. His importance to this Bromley side is enormous and his performances have put them comfortably in with a shout of a top 7 finish.