Barnet defender Ollie Kensdale is reportedly a target for a trio of National League clubs looking to bolster their defences.
The defender has found game time hard to come by for Barnet this season. Boreham Wood, Carlisle United and Rochdale are interested in signing the 25-year-old defender. The three clubs are currently in the midst of an intriguing National League title race with six teams separated by six points.
Pete O’Rourke has reported that all three of the National League title challengers are interested in signing him this transfer window.
Why are Carlisle United interested in Ollie Kensdale?
Carlisle currently sit top of the division but despite this has one of the worst defensive records amongst their title rivals. The Cumbrians have conceded an average of one goal per match so far this season, with twenty-seven goals in total.
Despite ranking seventh best in the division for goals conceded per match, it is below all of their title rivals bar York City. National League Lowdown host and Carlisle supporter Dan gave more reasoning to his club’s interest in the Barnet defender:
“Centre back is a position that Carlisle have struggled for consistency this season. Morgan Feeney struggled for fitness early on in the season, and with injuries at various times in the season to Aaron Hayden, Terell Thomas and Bevis Mugabi
“I think Kensdale would be a great addition and someone reliable to play alongside captain Feeney at the back”.
Why are Boreham Wood interested in Ollie Kensdale?
The biggest surprise in the title race this season is Boreham Wood. Having been promoted from the National League South last season, Luke Garrard’s side have built a strong defensive foundation and have quality in attack.
One of the biggest reasons why they may be looking to sign the Barnet defender is their squad depth. The Wood have a significantly smaller squad than their title rivals and saw Jeff King recalled from his loan spell by York at the start of the year.
This has left them with six recognised defenders in their squad. With potential fixture pile up due to an FA Cup run and the possibility of injuries in the run-in, adding Kensdale could be a smart piece of recruitment.
Why are Rochdale interested in Ollie Kensdale?
Despite having the league’s best defence, Rochdale are also interested in signing the Barnet defender. One reason for this is the season-ending injury to Sam Beckwith.
The 24-year-old is a big miss in Dale’s strong defence, as National League Lowdown co-host Mark described on a recent podcast:
“That is a massive, massive loss for them, and they’ll need to get someone of equal quality in pretty soon”.
Adding to this is their fixture pile-up, much like Boreham Wood. Jim McNulty’s side has had numerous postponements and has played the fewest games in the division. They will need some depth to their squad when the rearranged games come around.
What could Ollie Kensdale bring to the National League clubs?
Despite only making six League Two appearances for Barnet so far this season. Kensdale has managed to show some of the qualities he could bring to the sides chasing his signature. The North London side kept two clean sheets in his outings and picked up seven points.
He has the ability to beat his opponents in both aerial and 1v1 battles. According to FotMob, Kensdale has won 68% of aerial duels and won an average of 6.76 duels per 90 minutes this season.
He also has extensive National League experience. The defender made over 100 appearances in the National League for Southend United during his three-year spell with the Shrimps. This experience of playing in the fifth tier for a big club, chasing playoffs and promotion, may be a significant benefit to those fighting for promotion this season. It isn’t solely the experience in the fifth tier that may be of benefit, either.
He was even a part of an Eastbourne Borough side that was in a six-way title fight last season in the National League South. The experience of this, albeit being in the division below, may bring small advantages to his potential new side, which could make all the difference in a tightly contested promotion race this season.
With the title race being as competitive as it is in the National League, signings like Ollie Kensdale could be the difference in deciding who wins the title and who goes into the play-offs.