Upbeat Barnet boss is convinced team is even stronger than last season - as they extend unbeaten start

Barnet boss Dean Brennan : Picture by @YTJourno

Dean Brennan is very much the glass half full man and despite having the frustration of seeing his team surrender a 100 per cent record in the league, he was full pf praise for the quality of entertainment on show and the direction of travel.

The Bees started brightly and led at the interval in the Saturday lunchtime clash with Cheltenham Town at the Hive. But they needed some spirit and a late penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw after conceding twice in a five-minute spell around the hour mark.

Both were down to defensive frailties but there was no negativity from the Irishman and no dent in his infectious levels of optimism about his charges and the season ahead.

"Seven points from the first three games, we'd have snapped your hand off for that at the start of the season," Brennan enthused. "They are honest lads. They aren't turning up in Ferraris and they're giving their all for their family.

"We got 76 points last year and in the last 20 years, in 18 of them that would have got you in the play-offs. The whole football club and their chairman will be expecting to get more than 76 points this time to see where that takes us. Can we do it? time will tell.

"I believe we are in better shape than this time last season even if we have lost Ryan Glover. He got four goals last season and Charlie Lakin has already got three. We are stronger. Much better than last year. After three games, I don't think we had any points so it's positive."

Brennan continued: "We made errors but we fought back. That's what we're about. We fought, we kept going. We kept making entries into their box and got a penalty that we deserved What a great game of football!"

"We missed some good chances but I saw Phil Foden and Erling Haaland miss good chances last night. Our lads kept working and that's all we can ask for. We made huge errors for their goals obviously but full credit to Cheltenham, because they forced those errors.

"I thought it was a brilliant game and I really didn't want it to end, with both teams going for it in the last five minutes. The attitude of both teams was excellent."