Nick Sandamas sees the Bees secure a narrow win to keep their play-off hopes on track

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 Cambridge United 0

Barnet clinched the narrowest of wins against high flying Cambridge United at The Hive yesterday thanks to Danny Collinge’s sweet strike in the opening minutes of the second half in front of a good crowd with the away end almost sold out.

The victory kept the men in black and amber’s flame firmly flying on their chances of joining the end of season play-off party and, at the same time, dented the U’s automatic promotion hopes.

It was also nice to see the gaffer Dean Brennan return to the touchline following the conclusion of his nine match ban for alleged comments made to a female referee during a game last autumn, with his input obviously having the desired effect in eventually steering his side to the three points.

The Bees showed just the one change from their away day success at MK Dons last time out: Phillip Chinedu replacing the international-bound Idris Kanu in the starting eleven. Young Bright Siaw (recalled from a loan spell at Southall) immediately won a place on the subs’ bench.

With the wind having a say during the first half, not a single shot on target was recorded in the stats. A Collinge half volley for the home side in the thirteenth minute which went over the bar and into the car park end was the nearest anyone came to anything like an opportunity in the first 45 minutes.

The U’s did start to get more into it and, towards the end of the half, did threaten with some nice moves but were unable to trouble Ciaran Slicker in the Bees’ goal.

As the sun broke through for the start of the second half, with the wind easing down slightly, the game was only four minutes old when the Bees broke the deadlock to lead.

Mark Shelton whipped in a low corner to Collinge whose first time strike beat U’s keeper Jake Eastwood at his near post for the centre half’s second goal in successive games and the Bees’ 50th league goal of the season.

The U’s made changes soon after but it was the hosts who, on 69 minutes, came close to doubling their lead when Ryan Glover and Nnamdi Ofoborh combined on the right to set up Kabongo Tshimanga but (stretching) he could only send the ball over the bar into the away crowd.

With ten minutes to play, Slicker was adjudged to have picked the ball up from just outside his area on the left but he quickly redeemed himself to keep out the wind assisted free kick from Glenn McConnell pushing the ball away from goal with both hands.

As the seconds ticked by and with the U’s desperate to save the game they won a corner in the dying seconds which also saw Eastwood join his teammates for the corner. However, it was wasted and soon after ref Martin Woods blew for full time to herald congratulations for a gritty and determined Bees victory.

Although there was no upward trajectory in the table, a second win on the spin moved Barnet to within three points of the last play-off spot with six matches remaining, although a couple of clubs with similar ambitions have games in hand.

Next up is the visit of leaders Bromley on Good Friday as the Bees go in search of a third consecutive win for the first time this season to further boost their top seven chances.

Team: Slicker, Collinge, Tavares, Senior, Crichlow, Chinedu (Jaiyesimi 76) Shelton, Ofoborh, Stead, Tshimanga (Kizzi 86) Glover (Hawkins 86)

Subs not used: Evans, Howland, Hartigan, Siaw

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