Barnet’s head of academy Henry Newman says the lack of funding available to the club’s youth structure makes the Under-18’s start to the season an even more impressive feat.

The young Bees currently sit top of the South East Football League Youth Alliance division after winning seven of their 11 games and rattling in 37 goals in the process.

As a result, Barnet’s Under-18s are ahead of sides from a number of Championship and League 1 clubs, including Watford, Peterborough United and Milton Keynes Dons – beating all three of those teams already this term.

Relegation out of the Football League in 2013 saw the Bees’ funding cut significantly, but Newman and professional development phase lead coach Ross Eames have overseen an excellent start to the 2014/15 campaign.

“That [funding] is the knock-on effect, which is all the more reason why the whole staff, what they are doing this year with the Barnet youth team is a real marked effort,” explained Newman.

“We are working on half funding in comparison to other Football League clubs and what we are able to produce – across the age ranges, but particularly with the youth team – against other clubs which are [in the] Championship or League 1, with not just full funding but budgets on top is a good feat. But it is only part way through the season and we need to make sure that continues throughout.”

Newman, who returned to the club in the summer having previously served as assistant Under-18s coach between 2009 and 2011 added: “We are all pulling in the same direction. We want to get the first team back in the league and get the youth team and the academy doing as well as they can.

“They [the first team] are top of their league and we are top of our league and [there are] players playing in the first team, so it is a pretty happy environment at the moment, which is good.”

Joe Gater, Alfie Cain, Harry and Jack Taylor all featured in the first-team during pre-season, before 16-year-old Matt Stevens made his full debut against Alfreton Town last month, making it clear the pathway between the Under-18s and the first team is there.

Newman said: “I think the important thing, from both sides, is for the youth to do their job in terms of improving good players and producing players who are good enough for the first team, and then from the first team side it is just a case of picking their best squad. It is my job to make sure I can get players into that best squad.

“And it is great; the gaffer has been absolutely fantastic. He is always interested and we text him after every game, he watches some of the games and we always give him reports and he is always asking about players and long may that continue.”

Eames added: “Any player signing for a professional club, they need to see that pathway, and if they don’t see that pathway, they need to know they are making the right choice.

“Every player that signs here, they look at the pathway and they know there is a path for them to be in the first team. The manager is fantastic. He asks me every day how the players are and I have to write reports for him on all the games, so he wants to know how they are doing and is intrigued to see them every day.”