Cheltenham Town	Lincoln City	Rochdale	Cambridge United	West Ham United	Bristol Rovers
Macclesfield Town [2]	Rushden & Diamonds	Wycombe Wanderers	Notts County [2]	Kidderminster Harriers	Colchester United
Darlington	Boston United	Swansea City	Scunthorpe United	Shrewsbury Town	Northampton Town
Shrewsbury Town	Oxford United	Luton Town	Yeovil Town	Grimsby Town	Northampton Town
Leyton Orient	Bury	Chester City	Wycombe Wanderers	Mansfield Town	Rushden & Diamonds
Kidderminster Harriers	Boston United	Notts County	Mansfield Town	Swindon Town	Darlington
Swansea City	Scunthorpe United	Bristol Rovers	Northampton Town [2]	Shrewsbury Town	Bury
Chester City	Bristol Rovers	Lincoln City	Cheltenham Town	Rochdale	Cambridge United
Bristol Rovers	Wrexham	Leyton Orient	Macclesfield Town	Oxford United	Yeovil Town
Grimsby Town	Northampton Town	Northampton Town	Lincoln City

The archetypical image of Adam Barrett in 2004/5

It is hard to pick out the highlights of the season such was their abundance throughout the year. Being crowned League Two Player-of-the-Year will be the accolade that will be remembered by the history books, but there were so many wonderful performances throughout his first 55 games for the club to be put into print.

It is hard to believe looking back at the start of the season that the Belfairs-educated defender was not even in the side that faced Cheltenham Town on the opening day, although his non-appearance no doubt contributed to the two-goal defeat. His first showing in a Blues shirt was not tinged with greatness, either, the 24-year-old falling onto the ball in the penalty area at Spotland and conceding a penalty in another 2-0 defeat.

He did enough in the second half of that game in place of Spencer Prior to warrant a start against hometown club West Ham United in the first round of the Carling Cup, and despite that scoreline – 0-2 – popping up again, he never lost his place in the team. In fact, he played every minute of the season thereafter.

Returning to the club that he had captained the year before, Barrett headed home Duncan Jupp’s cross to equalise in yet another defeat, but he grabbed the headlines with two more at home to Macclesfield Town. It was enough to win United the game, their first triumph of the season, and his commanding and wholehearted displays at the back were already winning rave reviews.

It was the goals, though, that made the papers, and after having one chalked off at Rushden & Diamonds when he blatantly did not get a touch, he nodded in twice at Notts County to make up for it. He remained top goalscorer – aided by more aerial efforts at home to Oxford United and in a losing cause at champions Yeovil Town – until the trip to Leyton Orient, when Freddy Eastwood’s scrappy effort took him to eight against Barrett’s seven.

In the 26 matches between Bury at Gigg Lane and the LDV Vans Trophy final, when United experienced their club record 17-game unbeaten record, the defence let in a meagre 14 goals. Much of that was down to the understanding and experience of Barrett and Spencer Prior, as well as his ability to play alongside Andy Edwards when necessary.

It was also helped by one of Barrett’s defining moments. In the League clash at Sixfields, Blues trailed 1-0 to Northampton Town going into the final quarter-of-an-hour. The Dagenham-born blocker rose at two corners, one from Mark Gower and the other delivered by Kevin Maher, to head in and singe-handedly win Southend the match in a poor overall performance. He had hauled the Shrimpers up from the floor in a truly inspirational fifteen-minute period.

Only one further goal came in the 2-0 win at Cambridge United as he hit double figures, but his legacy will be at the back as much as it was in front of goal. Three clean sheets in defence for the Shrimpers in the three play-off matches epitomised their rock-like grip over the division at their best, and Barrett was the principal man in this.

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com