Nick Sandamas sees Barnet lose to high flying Swindon

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 1 Swindon Town 2

Ollie Clarke’s second half double on Tuesday gave his high flying Swindon side a vital three points in their quest for an automatic promotion place after victory against the Bees, whose wastefulness in front of goal in the first half cost them dear.

Nik Taveres returned to the side in the only change from last time out and the home faithful were celebrating as the Bees’ struck the game’s opening goal with eight minutes on the clock.

Idris Kanu whipped in a delicious left wing cross to the far post where the waiting Mark Shelton headed the ball towards the six yard area and straight to the feet of Adam Senior, who slashed the ball into the net to give the play-off chasers the lead. It was Senior’s eighth goal of the season and made him the Bees’ outright top scorer (not bad for a centre half).

Swindon were playing nothing like a side chasing automatic promotion but Barnet failed to take advantage with a host of missed chances that would have put them out of reach by half time.

Nmamdi Ofoborh was denied twice, first by a header which was headed off the line by Jamie Knight-Lebel and, soon after, was unlucky with a curling low shot which struck the post and bounced away from danger.

With half time approaching, the Robin’s Aaron Drinan had his side’s first sight of the target, his effort hitting the side netting which prompted the 1,100 Robins’ fans to shout: “We had a shot at goal!”

Within four minutes of the restart, Mark Shelton had a great chance to put the Bees two in front but somehow his shot trickled agonising just wide.

This proved to be the turning point as Ian Holloway’s side levelled matters just sixty seconds later, when a throw-in caused panic and the ball arrived at the feet of Clarke whose quick turn and shot inside the area found the bottom corner of the net.

Then, just past the hour mark, the turnaround was complete as Clarke powered home a low shot into the net to give his Robins side the lead which they would maintain until the final whistle.

This meant the Bees suffered their sixth home defeat of the season and their first loss in seven. They head to play Danny Cowley’s Colchester side tomorrow sitting five points off the play offs with a quarter of the season still to go.

Team: Slicker, Collinge, Senior, Tavares, Kizzi (Smith 80) Glover, Hartigan (Winterburn 68), Ofoborh, Shelton (Assombalonga 80), Tshimanga (Hawkins 62). Kanu (Howland 68)

Subs not used: Evans, Chinedu

Attendance 2880 (1118 away fans)

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