Nick Sandamas sees Barnet start 2026 with a win

The main stand at The Hive Stadium, home of Barnet FC — The Hive (Credit – Katie Chan, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Barnet 2 Crawley Town 1

Barnet started 2026 with a bang as Joe Kizzi’s double strike secured victory over a struggling Crawley Town side at The Hive.

Dean Brennan named an unchanged starting eleven from the win over Bristol Rovers last time out and took the lead with only five minutes on the clock took when Mark Shelton’s corner was delivered into the six yard box and headed in by Kizzi beyond Red Devils’ keeper Harvey Davies.

Idris Kanu and Lee Ndlovu both came close to extending the home advantage as they continued to play on the front foot.

Kizzi and Kanu set up Ryan Glover for a strike on goal on the quarter hour mark but Davies got down well to turn the winger’s shot away.

Josh Flint created the first opportunity for the visitors soon after but was unlucky as his shot hit the base of the post and was then hacked away from danger.

Then, with 22 minutes gone, another great chance fell to the rampaging Bees who had the chance to extend their lead when Kanu raced into the area and squared the ball across the six yard box to Ndlovu, only to see Davies pull off a good save.

Harry McKirdy tested Ciaran Slicker on the half hour mark, with the Bees’ keeper pushing his shot away.

However, three minutes later, McKirdy would got the better of Slicker when, after the Bees’ custodian put the ball down to kick it, he nabbed it off him and went on to slot the ball into the empty net for the leveller.

Minutes into the second half Ben Winterburn’s shot fell easily into the arms of Davies.

The Bees made a triple substitution just past the hour mark in an attempt to change things but it was Louie Watson who came close to giving his Red Devils side the lead denied only by Slicker, who pulled off a magnificent one handed save to guide the ball over the bar.

Then, with fifteen minutes left of normal time, the Bees struck again to go back in front when Ryan Glover’s long throw into the area was headed back to him by Theo Vassel; the winger fired a cross back into the box and found Kizzi, who got a touch on the ball to score.

Adam Senior almost snatched a third goal late on but Davies dived to his left to save.

A good win for the Bees to start the year (their first New Year’s Day win as a league club since 1992) and they will be hoping to follow up this performance with another strong one when Crewe visit The Hive this Sunday.

Team: Slicker, Collinge, Tavares, Senior, Kizzi, Glover (Hugill 89), Shelton, Winterburn, Ofoborh (Assombalonga 63), Ndlovu (Hawkins 63) , Kanu (Adeniran 63)

Not used: Evans, Hartigan, Smith

Attendance 2566 (414 away fans)

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