It’s not often I get close to a Monday night game of football; I think this is the only the second one for me in the last three years so to an FA Cup replay for Barnet at Chelmsford with a trip to Accrington Stanley the reward for the winners.
After a late equaliser for the Clarets set up the replay, Barnet have been north twice and picked up six points whilst not conceding, Chelmsford picked up one point from two home games and didn’t find the back of the net.
For those of you who have been to the Melbourne Stadium, it’s interesting, one way of putting it compared to what most Barnet fans thought of it, proposed segregation of the two sets of fans abandoned before kick-off, to be honest when you look at the layout of the ground it’s not the easiest to implement.
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Dean Brennan went with the side I expected, strong and able to bring Rob Hall and Marvin Armstrong off the bench late in the game, Chelmsford backed by a large home support were hopeful they would be the ones into the next round however6.
It was quite a tentative start to the game from both sides with some decent prize money on offer and both having played 48 hours earlier, the hosts having the first chance of the game but heading wide. The Bees should have been in front on ten minutes, Idris Kanu getting the better of his full back but Kian Flanagan’s effort was blocked on the line.
A couple of minutes later Dale Gorman shot wide with the keeper beaten all ends up, Chelmsford then began to build some pressure forcing Laurie Walker into a couple of good saves as the home side were giving the large crowd some good encouragement.
Nicke Kabamba had a great chance to put the visitors in front five minutes before half time after robbing a defender, the striker burst through although a little wide shooting straight at keeper Ovie Ejeheri and out for a corner, the scores level at half time.
The second half started with neither side creating too many real clear chances, Barnet the better in possession however but unable to find a penetrating moment. What should have been a turning point in the 64th minute for the home side didn’t materialise, Bees substitute Sam Woods shown a straight red card for a foul on Louis Dunne, the visitors down to ten men for almost half an hour and advantage to the home side.
However, Barnet had the next chance, Kabamba put clean through from a perfect Ryan De Havilland pass shot low and hard but Ejeheri was equal to it once again.
The Bees were managing the game and space well with a man less and it was one of the well-constructed counter attacks from which they netted the opening goal.
De Havilland showed great strength to hold off a defender, drag the ball back once in the penalty area and crossed straight onto the head of an unmarked Kanu to nod the ball home for the game’s first goal.
Initially the goal seemed to knock some stuffing out of the Clarets and it took a few minutes for them to compose themselves and have a go at getting another late equaliser. They came close with nine minutes left and should have scored, Walker seeing the ball finish the right side of the post for Barnet.
A couple of other half chances went begging as Chelmsford peppered the Bees penalty area with crosses but the backline held firm despite six minutes of stoppage time and it was Barnet who took the plaudits at half time.
I think Brennan certainly got the team to manage the game well, granted Chelmsford had a few good chances to get a goal themselves but even when down to ten men the tactics and positional play were excellent.
Kanu was a menace all night, more great hard work up top from Kabamba, De Havilland looking back to his best too, the team performance all summed up I think by the lung busting run from Harry Pritchard in the final five minutes to try and get a second goal, the work rate was up there with all I’ve seen so far this year.
Mention too for both centre halves, Jerome Okimo and Danny Collinge, the former as per the norm not losing a headed duel while the latter assured and excellent at sweeping up any loose balls all evening.
The Clarets will no doubt be disappointed not to have given the majority of the 3,015 crowd something to really cheer about, they are however nicely placed in the National League South and I’ve been impressed by what they’ve done so far.
I was pretty glad the segregation was lifted, the food offering in the ‘away’ section was very poor, the sort of thing that ends up on Footy Scran and gives you a bad name, but instead we got to sample the burger and if you end up there this season, make no mistake you need to get one! Still not beaten Hungerford’s Bulpit Beast but very, very good, nonetheless.
Nice to have the company of Nick Patel as usual and great to meet Lloyd Debenham for the first time too, also got joined by injured Bees duo Michael Phillips and Jordan Thomas for the full 90 mins, both hoping to be back in training at the back end of this week.
Little bit of a sour note to almost end on, a few ‘home fans’ decided a little bit of handbags were needed at the end of the game, all over quickly when they realised they’d picked on some 30 odd Bees fans close by to where they were walking past, problem when you don’t segregate nor have a stewarding capacity in place when you decide to lift it but lessons learnt no doubt.
Four away wins in a row, the last three with clean sheets and sitting in the National League play-off’s before the weekend game, things are nice and rosy for Barnet currently, long may it continue.
