Barnet win to go back to the top

Nick Sandamas sees the Bees defeat Fleetwood at The Hive

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 made it back-to-back home wins, stretched their unbeaten run to 16 league games and moved back to the top following a hard fought win over previously unbeaten Carabao Cup giantkillers Fleetwood Town at The Hive yesterday.

Kabongo Tshimanga’s early penalty was cancelled out by Will Davies but two goals in as many second half minutes by Charlie Lakin and Idris Kanu settled the contest.

The only sour note was the sending off of substitute Nnamdi Ofoborh (on the pitch for a mere 15 minutes) for receiving two quickfire yellow cards but by then the job had been done.

Beginning the game in second place following Walsall’s lunchtime win which took them top, left back Romany Crichlow was in the starting eleven for the first time this season and was the only change from the win over Accrington last time out with Ofoborh a substitute.

The start of the game saw the Cod Army launch an attack as early as the third minute. A crossfield pass towards the box by Mark Helm found Lewis McCann in acres of space but keeper Matt Cox spread himself well to get a hand to the striker’s shot to take the ball over the bar.

60 seconds later, the Bees carved out a chance with Cox’s long kick finding Tshimanga, but after taking the ball round keeper Jay Lynch, his low drive was easily cleared off the line for a corner by Adam Murphy.

Then on 10 minutes, a carbon copy, but the result was different. Cox with another to Tshimanga who, after rounding Lynch was floored by the keeper and the result was a penalty. The number 20 did the honours himself with a cool kick, placing his right foot shot low into the net for his fourth strike of the season to give the free scoring table toppers the early advantage.

The Cod Army roared back and kept the Bees back in their own half with some attempts on goal. McCann had a chance on the half hour but Cox beat his shot away.

Eventually, sustained pressure resulted in a leveller for the visitors on 35 minutes. Andrew’s left foot shot brought a good save from Cox. From the rebound, Murphy who hit the post but it was third lucky as Davies prodded the ball into the net from a few yards out to send the small band of Cod Army fans in the near empty away stand into raptures.

Before the break, the Bees had half an opportunity to restore their lead going into the dressing room but, after Adam Senior sent the ball over to Tom Knowles on the left, his drive was blocked by the body of McCann.

The second half started slowly, but then two quick goals just after the hour put the Bees in pole position.

First a cross by Knowles found Tshimanga, whose his header was initially kept out by Lynch before the loose ball was pounced on by Lakin who stabbed it the net for his sixth goal of the season.

Then, two minutes later, Kanu scored to make it three for the free scoring Bees side. Tshimanga attempted an overhead kick which he missed but somehow the ball came to Kanu whose hit the net for his second goal of the season (already beating his total of one for the whole of last season).

Fleetwood did make a couple of changes from the bench soon after the third goal went in, to try to get back into the contest and, despite a few half chances and Ofoborh getting his marching orders for kicking the ball away, the Bees saw out any threat from the visitors to secure another win to go two points clear at the top.

The Bees impressive record of scoring and conceding in every game this season continues, and the conceded column is something that I am sure Dean Brennan would want his players to address to as it’s now 13 league and cup games since they last kept a clean sheet.

With their next two league fixtures postponed due to international call ups for Kanu, Brendon Comley & Oisin Gallagher, their next game will be in early October when they face AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Trophy.

Team: Cox, Senior, Collinge, Williams Crichlow, Knowles (Noel-Williams 77) Comley, Lakin, Gallagher (Ofoborh 72) Tshimanga (Ajayi 90) Kanu (Maskell 77)
Subs not used: Ashby-Hammond, Wright, Reeves
Attendance 1948 (away 81)

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