Season Review - 2007/08
Last updated : 27 May 2008 By Jaybee
Barnet started April with a goalless home draw against promotion chasing Darlington which left the Bees on 49 points, one point away from the magic 50 point mark, usually deemed enough for safety and with 7 games left. On the Saturday, Barnet travelled to relegation threatened, Mansfield Town and went 2-0 down, before goals from Anthony Thomas and Adam Birchall grabbed the Bees a point and took them to 50 points. Birchall scored for the second successive season at Mansfield, his previous club prior to joining Barnet. Michael Leary had been converted to a centre back for the rest of the season and also made captain in the absence of Yakubu.
A well earned point at Bradford City in their next match, Birchall scoring again in a 1-1 draw, was followed by an excellent 3-0 home win against Bury as the Bees began to climb up the table with hopes of a top half finish. Another two goals for Adam Birchall, plus a Cliff Akurang goal, his 6th for the Bees, settled it for Barnet.
Barnet were now suffering badly with injuries with most of their defence out. By the time Barnet played Rochdale at Spotland, Devera, Yakubu and Gillet were all missing as, despite a reasonable performance, the Bees went down 3-0 to a side heading for the play-offs. On the Saturday, the Bees won for the first time at Accrington. Goals from Neal Bishop and Michael Leary, his first for the club gave Barnet a 2-0 win, taking them to 13th in the table. Kenny Gillet returned for this match, but Neal Bishop was now out for the rest of the season with damaged knee ligaments, as also was Sagi Burton. Ashley Carew had now been pressed into service as a right back and for the last home game against promotion hopefuls, Stockport County, the Bees started with a back four of Carew, Leary, Gillet and Nicolau, Kenny Gillet having been moved into the middle of the defence with Devera, Burton and Yakubu all out.
Barnet produced a superb performance for the last home game of the season, particularly in view of their scratch defence. Jason Puncheon put Barnet ahead with a right foot drive from just outside the penalty area after his initial free kick had been blocked by the wall. It was his 11th goal of the season. After Stockport had equalised, the Bees took all three points, when local lad, Danny Hart, on as a substitute and giving an impressive display, crossed for Cliff Akurang to head home his 7th goal since joining the Bees. The 2-1 win gave Barnet their second double of the season and was provided a nice send off for the departing Guiliano Grazioli, whose contract was not going to be extended and loanees, Jordan Parkes and Josh Wright playing their last match at Underhill before returning to Watford and Charlton respectively.
Unfortunately, Barnet could not make it a third double of the season in their last match of the season at Rotherham, going down 1-0 to the Millers despite a good performance. Graz came on late in the game in his last match for the Bees and Barnet finished in 12th place, a top half finish that few could envisage at the end of February after losing their fifth game on the trot. The last 12 games of the season, from the home match against Chester, brought 21 points, enough for a play-off place if maintained over the whole season.
The rest of May has seen the departures, on free transfers, of Graz, Sagi Burton and Anthony Thomas, the signing of PROTEC youngsters, Elliott Charles and Joe Tabiri and the transfer listing, at their own request, of Albert Adomah and Neal Bishop.
Joe Devera was voted player of the year, by the fans, as well as most improved player of the year. Josh Wright was voted young player of the year and Jason Puncheon's winner at home to Bradford City, the gaol of the season.
Off the field, plans were announced for the starting work of the Prince Edward Playing Fields (PEPF) project in Canons Park, Edgware which will give Barnet a settled training ground as well as providing a home to Barnet Ladies, Barnet's youth team and Wealdstone FC amongst others. The project could be completed in 22 weeks from the moment that the Football Foundation give the green light.
