With the football season over for all non-league club from step three down, Herts Advertiser sports reporter Neil Metcalfe reviewed the campaign for London Colney. Here’s his end-of-year report.

Herts Advertiser: A rare moment of happiness in a difficult season for London Colney. Picture: KARYN HADDONA rare moment of happiness in a difficult season for London Colney. Picture: KARYN HADDON (Image: Archant)

Team name: London Colney

Division: SSML Premier Division

Final position: 21st (28 of 40 games played)

FA Cup: First qualifying round (lost 4-1 at Wingate & Finchley)

FA Vase: Second qualifying round (lost 4-2 at home to Baldock Town)

Season grade overall: D

The decision to void the season meant there were many losers. London Colney, however, were one of the winners.

That provided one of the rare bright sparks in a year that saw them cast well adrift at the foot of the table after just three wins in the league.

The grade on how this year is viewed though will be hugely dependant on what comes next.

A small band of volunteers are valiantly fighting to put the club on an upward trajectory and improvement next season has to be a must.

They need to be canny with their recruiting but the finish to the year could yet hint at slightly better times for the Blueboys.

Game of the season: Cheshunt (home) - February 11

It maybe is a measure of the troubles Colney faced this season that their game of the year was a defeat. But the fact the contest was a cup tie was another characteristic of the year.

Away from the league the Blueboys shone. They had a Herts Charity Shield semi-final to look forward to before fixtures were voided and this match came in the quarter-final of the Senior Cup.

And it showed their battling qualities had still not deserted them as they came close to shocking the Isthmian Premier Division outfit, two divisions higher, before losing 2-0.

Former Saints trialist Reece Beckles-Richards got the goals but Jack Mace and Laurence Vaughan both went close for Colney with the score at 0-0.

What’s next?

Simply put, they have to make the most of their get out of jail free card. Any finish that is higher than the bottom two has to be the very minimum they aim for.

It is not going to be easy. Crowds are down and you know they still won’t be able to pay players.

But if they can recruit young, hungry players and players who are happy to roll their sleeves up and battle for their mates alongside them and the club, then perhaps, just perhaps, they can propel themselves up the table.

They will settle, I’m sure, for being competitive throughout the entirety of matches.

Too many times this year they started brightly before conceding a goal and folding. The 4-0 loss at Colney Heath in December is a case in point.

It’s a good club with good, honest people at the helm. They don’t deserve to suffer again.