Games in the National League are coming thick and fast, but when you get an away fixture that takes less time to get to than the journey to The Hive it’s an opportunity not to be missed.
Tuesday night was a trip to Hayes Lane as Bromley took on Barnet, ironically the first time I’d be watching the Ravens at their home ground despite many a trip to watch their tenants Cray Wanderers in the past couple of seasons.
It wasn’t going to be an easy task to come away with a win, you have to respect Bromley’s unbeaten home record and a miserly two goals conceded, this would take some performance to record a victory, a point would happily be welcome.
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Dean Brennan was forced into a couple of changes with another game due on Friday evening, Dom Revan’s gametime needing to be managed whilst Sean Shields missed out with an abscess problem, a first start for Marvin Armstrong whilst Harry Pritchard and Idris Kanu occupied the wing back roles, Ben Wynter moving into the back three.
On a dry night with the earlier forecast rain not appearing, Barnet were the stronger of the two teams across the first half. Bromley appeared not to be able to come to terms with the space Armstrong and Ryan De Havilland were constantly finding and the outlet balls for both wing backs saw the home side struggle to contain the visitors.
The early pressure came from the Bees, Armstrong with two really good chances to give the visitors the lead, firstly a defender blocking his effort and secondly a full burst into the box saw the keeper Tom Smith save his shot and away for a corner.
Skipper Dale Gorman thought he had made the breakthrough on 22 minutes, his super effort from 25 yards out clipping the crossbar on the way over the bar, Smith beaten all ends up.
You worry though that not capitalising on such good chances will come back to bite you and the home side did have a couple of chances themselves , a shot flashing across the goal but wide of Laurie Walker’s far post and Michael Cheek hitting the side netting when the odds you would have put on the striker to hit the net would have been low, neither side found the breakthrough before half time, Bromley the happier I’m sure to have gone in 0-0.
Not surprisingly, Bromley looked to have been given a rocket by Andy Woodman at half time, a very different home team emerged after the break and forced the Bees onto the back foot, certainly more aware of closing down the space Armstrong and De Havilland had enjoyed in the first half, there was very much a need to soak up the pressure.
And to the extent the visitors did just that, a couple of alarming moments but nothing too serious until the 66th minute when the home side worked the ball nicely across the pitch and the ball into the box was finished by Charles Clayden to put Bromley into the lead and at that point no more than they deserved.
Brennan’s double substitution on Saturday turned the game back in the Bees favour and two minutes after that first goal, the Barnet boss sent on Revan and Rob Hall for Sam Woods and Gorman which meant the side reverting to a back four, allowing Kanu to move further up the pitch.
Bromley felt they should have had a penalty with 20 minutes to go after Clayden went down in the area, looked a harsh call if it had been made on the highlights after.
The final Bees change saw Kian Flanagan on with 16 minutes left to go, Armstrong the man to make way after a strong performance on his first Barnet start.
Barnet were certainly probing away as the final ten minutes arrived, but what was about to unfold was one of those nights I guess you dream about but it never quite takes off.
With time running out, five minutes left of normal time, Kanu picked the ball up outside the penalty area and curled the ball past Smith for the equaliser, the point was back on!
Two minutes left on the clock and Bromley give away a silly free kick outside the penalty area, Hall floats the ball perfectly onto the head of Pritchard and his header goes in off the underside of the crossbar to turn the game on it’s head and put Barnet into the lead.
Now you might think it’s done and dusted despite five minutes of added time, but oh no, we’re not finished yet. And one minute into that stoppage time, Pritchard has the ball 25 yards out, the bench wanting him to head to the corner flag but the midfielder had other ideas and let rip, the ball nestling in the net to complete the most unbelievable turnaround from just six minutes earlier. That was it, the game was done, the home supporters drifting out whilst the away end was bouncing awaiting the final whistle and some raucous celebrations at what the 141 had witnessed.
Quite the performance given the home side’s record before the game, my thesis was if we kept Adam Marriott shackled then we had a chance which as it turned out wasn’t too far off.
There was a worry those first half missed chances would come back to haunt us and despite the 20 minutes at the beginning of the second half it was all Barnet and I don’t think there would be too much disagreement on that.
Difficult to pick players out when the display was that good but Armstrong was superb, gave us great legs and De Havilland appears to coming back into form, a moment of quality from Hall for the second goal, Kanu a star at both wing back and further up the pitch, Nicke Kabamba worked his socks off, Woods comfortable on his first start of the season, Gorman pulling the strings through the first half, but the star man, Pritchard.
Not just for his two well taken goals but firstly at wing back and then back in central midfield after Gorman was substituted he’s fast becoming a very big asset as the season progresses.
What I also liked was once again the substitutions helped us control the game again, and switching from a back three into a four, we’re beginning to show an understanding of the tactical side maybe more than we were four weeks ago.
One point off the play-off’s and a quick turn around to face Scunthorpe Utd at The Hive on Friday evening, whilst their form hasn’t been great so far this season you under-estimate no one in the National League.
