Nick Sandamas sees Ryan Glover save the Bees on Boxing Day

Barnet FC taken on Sutton United in the National League — The Bees in Boxing Day action against Sutton (Credit – Nick Sandamas)

Barnet and Sutton United served up a Boxing Day spectacular with the points shared in a six-goal thriller which saw Ryan Glover score at the death to maintain the Bees’ unbeaten home record.

The game’s first chance came on ten minutes when Callum Stead (back in the starting XI for the injured Rhys Browne) made a surging run into the box but his shot was kept out by the outstretched leg of U’s keeper Jack Sims.

Then the U’s broke through on 21 minutes to open the scoring when Hayden Muller swept a quick pass to Jack Wadham who then split the defence with a through pass to Ashley Nadesan on the right and he went on to slot the ball low past keeper Nick Hayes.

The lead lasted only ten minutes before the Bees equalised.

Ben Coker found Glover on the left and he curled a delicious shot into the top corner with the ball taking a slight deflection on its way in.

Coker was again the provider for the goal on 42 minutes which gave the Bees the lead when his cross found Ade Oluwo to head the ball into the net to make it 2-1 at the interval.

Early moments of the second period saw Nadesan fire a shot over the bar.

Stead then had a great chance to open up a two goal lead for the title chasers, but somehow he managed to screw his header just wide.

Besart Topallaj had his shot beaten away by Hayes before the hour mark as the U’s threatened an equaliser and soon after Lewis Simper shot past the post.

But eventually the U’s pressure would pay off as goals in a four minute spell turned the game in their favour.

First Nadesan found Will Davies to sweep the ball home on 69 minutes to level, then Myles Kenlock’s attempted short back pass to Hayes was pounced upon by Topallaj to score.

As the game entered the final stages Mark Shelton struck the post as the Bees went all out to level.

With their unbeaten home record on the line, the Bees mounted one final attack to save the game and, with the clock showing 90+8, Glover saved the day with a dramatic goal.

Anthony Hartigan floated in a free kick to the six yard box, Sims dropped the ball and, after a scramble Glover, blasted in to secure a point for the black and amber.

With Forest Green drawing and York’s game postponed the Bees end 2024 top of the pile.

The Bees begin the new year with a trip to face Eastleigh on New Year’s Day.

Team: Hayes, Collinge, Oluwo, Taveres (Cropper 84), Kenlock, Coker (Kabamba 56),Glover, Brunt (Kanu 65) Hartigan, Shelton, Stead

Not used: Bellagambi, Hall-Johnson, Clifford, Grimwood

Attendance 2430 (282 away fans)

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else. £84 annual supporters get a print copy by post and a digital copy of each month's before anyone else.