The attacker’s scoring feat helped Barnet to big win in their final home game of the season reports Nick Sandamas

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)

Callum Stead scored an incredible five goals as the Bees ended their home campaign with a six star show against Gillingham.

Despite the victory (Barnet’s sixth in the last seven games), the late winning run won’t be enough for them to make the play-offs because the two teams immediately above them face off against each other in the final round of matches next week and both are currently three points ahead.

However, the Bees will want to go out on a high when they face relegation fighters Harrogate next Saturday.

Danny Collinge returned to the starting eleven following the conclusion of his three match ban with Nnamdi Ofoborh on the bench.

The Callum Stead show started in the sixth minute with the opening goal of the game.

Anthony Hartigan played a quick short corner to Ryan Glover whose flighted cross into the six yard box found Stead who headed the ball into the net beyond Gills’ 42-year-old keeper Glenn Morris.

The lead lasted a mere seven minutes before the Gills levelled. Bradley Dack was free on the right and his low cross found the waiting Sullivan Booth to equalise.

The goal glut continued just two minutes later with the Bees regaining their lead when Kabongo Tshimanga found himself in the area and he played a square pass to Stead to slot into an empty net.

Stead completed his treble a minute later with Romany Crichlow finding the number ten to score as the Gills defence went to pieces.

Idris Kanu struck the outside of the post with the game only 20 minutes old as the Bees looked for plenty of goals to boost their goal difference.

A chance did fall the Kent side’s way on 25 minutes but Booth’s effort was deflected over by the boot of Nik Taveres.

Stead scored his and his side’s fourth on the half hour; Tavares with the assist through to Stead who had the easy task of slotting the ball into the net.

4-1 became 5-1 in the fourth minute of four minutes’ first half stoppage time when the Hartigan-Glover combination from another short corner found the head of left back Crichlow, who powered his header into the net for his first goal in a Bees shirt.

Following the goal glut in the first half, the first twenty minutes of the second were a bit quiet and, with the game done and dusted, on 65 minutes Dean Brennan bought fresh legs on in the form of Dialling Jaiyesimi, Ben Winterburn, Phillip Chinedu and Kane Smith. Within five minutes, one of those substitutes assisted with goal number six.

Smith’s corner saw Stead blast the ball high into the net to complete his five star show.

He was later given a standing ovation when substituted with seven minutes of normal time left with even the Gills fans applauding him as he went past them behind the goal.

The Gills had the last word though with the final goal of the game deep in stoppage time through Josh Andrews.

The final whistle blew with the Bees fans staying behind to applaud their team on what has been a season where they came close but not close enough to a shot a promotion via the play-offs.

One more game to go at Harrogate Town next Saturday, as the Bees look to finish the season on a high with eighth place a target.

Team: Slicker, Collinge (Smith 65), Senior, Tavares, Crichlow, Glover, Hartigan (Winterburn 65), Shelton, Stead (Hawkins 83), Tshimanga (Jaiyesimi 65), Kanu (Chinedu 65)

Subs not used: Evans, Ofoborh

Attendance 3704 (1078 away fans)

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