Dominant Barnet cash in on freefalling Bristol Rovers to re-ignite those play-off ambitions
- By Yann Tear at the Hive
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
League Two
Barnet (2) 4 Senior 15, Ofoborh 30, Shelton pen 78, Stead 89
Bristol Rovers (0) 0
A win against a team who had lost their last eight league games in a row could never really be described as a sliding doors moment in a season but this one still feels significant.
After a run of five successive draws, the need to find a bit of momentum was obvious and Barnet achieved that with room to spare. The ambition must be to build on a first win since early October at Tranmere and push up the table.
Two first-half goals put them in the box seat and although Bristol Rovers rallied and threatened to make a game of it after the interval, a penalty 12 minutes from the end ensured the three points would belong to the Bees and they added a fourth for good measure.
It's fair to say the first season back in the EFL has been a bit of a mixed bag for them so far - but at least they are holding their own when it comes to results.
The most recent distraction has come in the shape of an unwanted FA charge against boss Dean Brennan - the 45-year-old Irishman accused of verbally abusing a match official while making a reference to gender.
The alleged incident happened during September's 3-1 home defeat to Shrewsbury, which was being refereed by Kirsty Dowle and is being treated as an 'aggravated breach' of the rules. Today was a deadline for a response.
Brennan may be in hot water over that, but Bees fans have been delighted to have him in charge since September 2021. Last year, he led the north Londoners to the National League title with a record-breaking 102 points and although they currently sit halfway after that glut of five successive draws, there is still scope for the season to pan out positively.
They were only four points adrift of seventh place - the final play-off slot - before tonight.
One of the oddities of the campaign has been a much better away record that home record. Four wins and only one defeat on the road in nine fixtures contrasts with four defeats and only two home wins at Camrose Avenue - the last of which came in early October against Accrington before this handsome rout.
They are out of the FA Cup after a 2-1 defeat at Fleetwood in round one and Newport dumped them out of the League Cup at the first hurdle on penalties - but the Bees have every reason to believe they can turn draws into wins and start climbing up into contention.
Barnet were last in League Two in 2018, and this is the fourth time they have had a go at establishing themselves at this level since they first rose out of non-league under the legendary Barry Fry.
The Bees took just a quarter of an hour to get on the front foot. Ryan Glover had already tested Rovers keeper Luke Southwood with a near post drive after cutting inside two players when he raced to the byline and stood up a perfect cross to the back post that Adam Senior powered in with his head from close range.
Cieran Slicker - the keeper on loan from Ipswich Town - ensured the lead was preserved when he got down to block a shot from Fabrizio Cavegn in a breakaway but the struggling visitors looked short of confidence.
"Too f'in slow!'" bellowed Brennan, demanding more of his charges. They soon obliged. Nnamdi Ofoborh took on a retreating defence with that extra pace and verve the boss had asked for and crashed a crisp shot beyond Southwood. It was the Nigerian's first goal since a double in a September win against Grimsby.
Barnet piled it on and should have been out of sight by the break. It needed three sharp saves to deny them a third goal. A masked Britt Assombalonga arrowed one that was tipped over, the excellent Glover forced Southwood into a save with his feet, then the keeper dived left to stop Kane Smith's effort from finding the bottom corner.
Rovers were much improved at the start of the second half. They made changes and finally showed some application, but their hopes were snuffed out when Mark Shelton slammed home a spot kick, having been felled in the penalty area by Kamil Conteh.
It was almost 4-0 when sub Oli Hawkins clipped a post, but moments later, Callum Stead was given the freedom of the penalty area to turn and fire past Southwood.
"You're nothing special, we lose every week," sang the disconsolate band of 400 away supporters. That may be so, but the Bees will take their biggest win of the season as a sign that better days lie ahead.
Bees: (3-4-2-1) Slicker - Collinge, Senior, Tavares - Glover (Hugill 81), Oforborh, Hartigan (Stead 60), Kanu (Hawkins 70) - Shelton (Winterburn 81), Smith - Assombalonga (Browne 70)
Pirates: (3-5-2) Southwood - Lopata, Lockyer (Forde h/t), Mola - Moore, Conteh, Cotterill, McEachran (Morton 62), Sparkes - Cavegn, Thomas (Issaka h/t)
Attendance: 2,157
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