Nick Sandamas sees Barnet end their first season back in League Two with a win at Harrogate

Outside the gates of Harrogate Town FC's football ground — Harrogate Town FC by DS Pugh, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Harrogate Town 1 Barnet 2

Barnet ended their season with victory against Harrogate Town at the Exercise Stadium on what was a tense afternoon for the home side whose six year spell in the EFL was ended as a result of this defeat.

The Bees went with the same eleven hit Gillingham for six last time out and Callum Stead, who hit five of those goals, was at it again in only the fifth minute with what was the worst possible start for a home side needing a positive result while hoping that other results went their way.

An attempted back pass by Jacob Slater to keeper Mark Oxley fell short allowing Kabongo Tshimanga to take control, squaring the ball across the six yard box to Stead who had the easy task of slotting the ball into the net.

The Bees almost doubled their advantage in the twelve minute but Oxley stretched to push away Tshimanga’s shot.

Then, just past the 25 minute mark, a foul presented the Sulphurites with a chance of a strike on target but Bryn Morris’s fiercely struck free kick from 25 yards was touched behind by the diving Ciaran Slicker.

However, three minutes later, a clumsy foul by Romany Crichlow on Slater following a corner kick presented the home side with the perfect opportunity to level from the spot. Morris made no mistake, despite Slicker getting hands to the ball it was too powerful and hit the back of the net to keep the Sulphurites fight against relegation alive.

Nik Taveres was booked late in the half for fouling Shawn McCoulsky in the home half.

Kane Smith replaced Tavares for the start of the second half and, within five minutes, Shawn McCoulsky almost put the home side in front going toe to toe with Danny Collinge and then seeing his shot crash against the underside of the bar and away from the danger area.

Then, just past the hour, Oxley was on hand to turn behind Mark Shelton’s shot after he was teed up by Adam Senior.

The Bees made further changes with Daniel Jaiyesimi, Nnamdi Ofoborh and Joe Kizzi joining the action before the 70 minute mark was up.

Crichlow (who scored his first ever Bees goal in the previous game) had a chance to make it two from two with thirteen minutes left but his snap shot forced Oxley into a good save.

With eight minutes of normal time left, the Bees scored to retake the lead and ultimately send the Sulphrites down.

Clever play by Ofoborh and Stead saw the ball come to sub Phillip Chinedu and he fired low past Oxley’s near post.

They almost struck a third a few minutes later but Shelton forced Oxley to take the ball over the bar.

With added time seven minutes old, the Sulphurites had one last attempt to salvage something but Slicker did brilliantly to punch away the 25 yard effort from Cathal Hefferman for the National League bound side.

After the final whistle blew, the Bees players and coaching staff went over to their fans to thank them for their support throughout the season on what has been a positive return to the EFL – ending in eighth place with 76 points, their highest points tally in the Football League since 1999/2000 season when they made the play-offs with 75.

They also managed an impressive eleven wins on the road with more points gained away than at home.

Team: Slicker, Collinge (Kizzi 65), Senior, Tavares (Smith 46), Crichlow, Glover (Jaiyesimi 68), Hartigan (Ofoborh 65), Shelton, Stead, Tshimanga, Kanu (Chinedu 81)

Subs not used: Evans, Winterburn

Attendance 3952 (463 away fans)

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