Derby day. The highlight for most when the fixtures come out at any level of the game, but this particular fixture means more to some but not the many. The first weekend of February and The Hive was the destination for the visit of near neighbours Wealdstone.
I missed out on the Enfield rivalry; Stevenage were the side in town in my early Bees years and more lately Boreham Wood, in geographical terms the Stones are closest but having only been at this level again with us for three years it doesn’t seem anything more than two other matches out of 46 for us to play.
Wealdstone are in a slight rebuild mode after the loss of the management team to pastures new, a tough baptism of fire for the few manager David Noble and after a creditable 3-3 draw at home to play off chasing Aldershot a derby with some needle was next on his card.
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A mild afternoon for the beginning of February, a noisy away end, the Amber Battalion trying to even up that score. What followed throughout the first half was a dominance of football that should have seen Barnet home and hosed by half time such was the amount of chances created and the visitors unable to get anywhere near the ball on most occasions.
The home side should have been in front inside five minutes, Reece Hall-Johnson’s header at the back post saved by Marcus Dewhurst, the first sign of intent. Two further chances for Jordan Maguire-Drew arrived, neither hit the target but the next effort had the Bees in the lead.
An effort recycled by Ben Coker saw his cross turned in by Callum Stead for the game’s opening goal, the reward for the home side’s dominance in the first fifteen minutes.
Ade Oluwo should have doubled the lead minutes later, his header from a corner not directed back on target as it should have been. The odd Stones foray into the Barnet half didn’t yield very much, one or two efforts dealt with comfortably by Josh Keeley.
Maguire-Drew thought he had given the home side a two goal lead soon after the half hour mark, poor decision making from Dewhurst might have sent the winger wide of the penalty area but his curling shot headed off the line by Jack Cook, debate about whether the ball had actually crossed the line, still shots inconclusive enough for me to make a decision either way.
More chances came before half time, Stead with the opportunity to add another to his tally but one on one with Dewhurst scouped the ball over the bar, Barnet taking a single goal lead into the break despite a huge amount of chances.
Wealdstone were much brighter second half, posing more of a problem after a couple of tactical tweaks but still limited once it came to the final third. Barnet seemed fairly content to sit on the lead with very few chances coming their way, the Stones having shored up the gaping holes of the first 45.
Another chance fell the way of Oluwo 13 minutes from time, the Stones defence not dealing with a Jordan Cropper long throw but the big centre half headed wide of the target again.
Zak Brunt’s half volley missed the target two minutes afterwards, the ball dropping to him half cleared from a corner. The diminutive midfielder was fouled in the box following the next attack, Harry Pritchard’s penalty straight down the middle palmed away by Dewhurst.
Stead had a glorious chance to seal the victory two minutes into stoppage time, racing through towards goal, turned the defender inside out only to hit the ball straight at Dewhurst.
And with all those missed chances came the equaliser. The final minute of stoppage time saw the home side allow Wealdstone one last foray forward and despite the Bees defence having the situation under control Keeley left his line, jumped high in the air leaving Corie Andrews with the simple task of rolling the ball into the net and cue pandemonium in the away end at the late leveller.
What followed were some of the worse scenes I’ve witnessed in my years of watching football. A relative few were unable to keep themselves under control from the away end, entering the pitch, fighting with stewards and launching flares towards the referee.
Eventually the game restarted with both sides taking a point, Barnet no doubt rueing enough chances to win a game or three and the Stones grateful for another point rescued as per midweek.
Too often this year the Bees have not been clinical enough to put teams out of sight, that would have guaranteed another 10-15 points at least to the current points total. On the flip side the chances are being created, there would be more of a worry for me if they weren’t.
And they were good chances too, not your average half ones either. Stones will feel extremely lucky to take a point away from here, a manager with his hands in his pockets for the full 90 minutes doesn’t inspire me with much confidence at all.
Solid debut for Adam Thompson for the home side I felt, certainly should be a decent addition for the run-in until one or two more bodies return, a cameo 20 minutes from the other new signing Luke Freeman, neat and tidy but little time to make much of an impact, Keeley safe hands with all, the late error one to learn from for the young keeper.
A break from league action for both next weekend with the return of the FA Trophy although Wealdstone have the small matter of another midweek league match in between. Around eight more wins needed for the Bees to secure a top three spot, shouldn’t be too much of tall order, but they must start putting games to bed when the opportunities are there.
