A Farewell To Liam

The first match that I saw Liam Hatch play in was on the 8^th October 2002 and Barnet were at home to Gravesend and Northfleet in a Nationwide Conference match. Gravesend had just come up from the Ryman League and Barnet were expected to win this midweek derby match. However, all didn't go to plan and Barnet lost 4-1 with one of the goals being scored by Liam Hatch.

Liam joined Gravesend from Kent League side, Herne Bay. He had scored 23 goals in his first full season for the Bay and was the Kent League's top scorer that season. In the programme for that match it described Liam as being "a real handful for defenders" and so he has been and so he was that first match that I saw him play against the Bees.

In the return game at Stonebridge Park, after Neil Midgley had put Barnet ahead, Liam had a couple of real chances to put Gravesend level but failed to take them. The Barnet fans behind the goal were shouting "How wide do you want the goal?" but it was Liam who had the last laugh scoring as the home side went 2-1 up before half time, though a Craig Pope goal grabbed the Bees a point in the end.

When Martin Allen decided to have a clear out at the end of the season and bring in fresh faces to the club, low and behold he went and paid £23,000, a lot of money for the club, to bring that tall, gangly, raw bean pole to Underhill. In the annual pre season friendly with Arsenal, Liam impressed and looked to be a promising signing until he jumped to try and head the ball and fell awkwardly and was carried off, our new striker out for the start of the season and probably for months to come.

It was the middle of October before Liam made his competitive first team debut for the Bees, coming on as substitute against Brentford in the LDV Vans Trophy. Barnet had led 2-0 at half time, but the league side had turned the game round to 3-2 before Liam, on as a substitute, grabbed a late equaliser for the Bees, though they then went out on penalties.

Liam then gradually worked his way back making his league debut on the Saturday following the Brentford game at Leigh and coming close to scoring his first league goal for the bees in the home match against his old club, Gravesend, where he was taunted by the away fans. Liam, not for the first time, took ages to open up his league account for the season, though he did play well, in particular, I remember, away at Telford where he gave a heroic performance as hard working target man in a fine 2-1 victory for the Bees. Shortly after that he was injured again following a brutal challenge by a Woking player, but returned a few weeks later and finally, in February, he came on as substitute at home to Tamworth and scored the only goal of the game to give Barnet three crucial points in the run up to the play offs.

The next match at Exeter saw Liam gain the Bees a point with a goal and then at his old club, Gravesend, it was his header that fell to Greg Pearson to slot home the equaliser for the Bees on his debut. Crucial goals at Northwich and at home to Burton Albion helped see Barnet to the play offs, but sadly it was his handball in the 2^nd leg of the play offs that gave away the penalty at Shrewsbury.

The following season, Liam's partnership with Giuliano Grazioli really blossomed as the Bees stormed to the Conference title by 12 points. Liam again did well against his old club, scoring twice in Barnet's 4-1 home win over Gravesend and scoring one and making one in the 3-1 win at Stonebridge Park after the Kent side had led 1-0 at half time and the home fans had taunted Liam with "Hatchy, Hatchy, what's the score?"  It was also Liam that turned the Halifax defence to cross for Simon King to put Barnet ahead in April at Underhill when the Bees clinched the title.

As Barnet returned to the football league, I was hopeful that Liam would prove as successful in League Two football as he was in the Conference, but in truth, though he was unlucky to get injured early on in the season, Liam found it hard. A number of missed opportunities such as late on at Peterborough where he did all the hard work and then blazed over the bar meant that by the time Easter Monday had come around, Liam was still waiting for his first goal to arrive. However, his timing was good. Only ahead of the bottom two by virtue of a better goal difference, Barnet needed points badly and in a desperately poor performance at home to Mansfield Town, who ended the match with nine men, it was Liam's shot on the turn into the back of the net that was to prove the only goal and three precious points for the club. On the last day at Rushden, from Paolo Vernazza's cross, it was Liam hatch that fired the Bees ahead to help blow away our relegation worries.

After a good pre season to the 2005/06 season many fans were hopeful that this would prove a much better season for Liam, but again the goals were hard to come by. It was not until nearly Christmas when Liam broke his league duck for the season by scoring a fine opportunist goal at Wycombe which got the bees a point, but it was another lean season for Hatchy.

Little was expected this season and the early part of the season he was used mainly as a substitute. It was in this role, however, that things began to change for Liam, starting with the home game against Wycombe. Losing 1-0 at half time, Hatch was brought on and completely changed the game scoring a superb equaliser and contributing greatly to the 2-1 win. Wycombe manager, Paul Lambert commented after the match that he didn't know why Hatch was on the bench as he always played well when he saw him.  At home to Mansfield, with the Bees again 1-0 down he was again brought on and scored the equaliser.

These two goals led to Liam starting at Wrexham where he scored both goals in a 2-0 win for Barnet. He followed this up with perhaps his best ever goal for Barnet at home to Accrington where he collected the ball, turned a defender and drove powerfully home all in a one movement. It was clear that, finally, Liam had learned to adapt to league football. Indeed not only to adapt but to thrive. Further goals followed, a fine headed match winning goal in the home FA Cup tie against Gillingham, reminiscent of some of the gaols he scored in the Conference winning season, a neatly taken goal in the next round at Burton and a vital goal at home to Macclesfield in the league after the Bees defence had shipped two sloppy goals in 7 minutes.

Liam was now top scorer for the club with 8 goals, more in less than half a season than in the two previous seasons combined. Now Liam was combining his 110% effort and creating havoc for opposing defenders with goals, but, alas, it was not just the Underhill fans that had noticed that Liam was now one of the most dangerous strikers in League Two, other managers had become interested in Liam. The club message board was full of expectation that Liam was going to leave in the January transfer window, maybe to Wycombe as Lambert was such an admirer of Liam.

A fine performance at home on Boxing Day against Dagenham & Redbridge, even without a goal, brought a standing ovation when he was substituted late in the game. Many fans felt that the strength of the ovation was largely due to the feeling that it might have been his last match for the club and those feelings have appeared to be correct as news arrived that Liam was to be sold to Peterborough United for £150,000 on 1^st January.

It seems terribly sad that having not really seen the best of Liam Hatch for the last two seasons, he should leave the club just when he has started to blossom. In the space of about two months, everything has come good for Liam and suddenly he has appeared to be one of the best strikers in the division, a long way from the end of last season when many fans were calling for him to be given a free transfer.

However, despite being so frustrating these last two seasons, there can be no doubt that even before his recent improvement in form, Liam was in many ways the darling of the East Terrace and largely personified the club in the eyes of many supporters. Immensely popular on match days, he had an excellent rapport with the fans and was forgiven by many fans time and again for his disappointing finishing because of his total commitment to the club.

Underhill has seen some fine players in the last few seasons, such as Nicky Bailey, Simon King, Giuliano Grazioli, Jason Puncheon, Dean Sinclair and Tresor Kandol. They have all looked the part and have in varying degrees been popular with the fans, but with the possible exception of Ian Hendon, it is difficult to think of any player that has so won the hearts of the supporters as Liam Hatch.

Many of the players I have just mentioned, such as Simon King and Nicky Bailey, have left the club and have, of course, been missed and may, perhaps, prove, in time, to be more difficult to replace than Hatchy. At the moment it is not easy to tell. But they will not leave the emotional hole in the club that the departure of Liam Hatch will leave. To many fans, at the moment, it feels that the heart of the club has been ripped out.