Barnet entertain Gillingham at Underhill tomorrow afternoon in a clash of bottom versus top and which sees former Barnet boss, Martin Allen back at Underhill just months after rescuing the Bees from relegation at the end of last season.
Barnet have met Gillingham 14 times in the league, Barnet having won five times, the Gills five and four matches being drawn. The two sides first met in the 1991-92 season following Barnet’s promotion from the Conference. Barnet won 2-0 at home, with goals from Mark Carter and Derek Payne and the game at the Priestfield ended in a 3-3 draw, Paul Wilson, Gary Bull and Kenny Lowe scoring. The following season, 92-93, Barnet again won 2-0 at home. Both goals were own goals, one of them being scored by future Bee, Gary Breen. The away fixture was drawn 1-1, Mark Carter scoring. At the end of the season Barnet were promoted, but came back down the following season and the fixture resumed in 1994-95, when Barnet won at Underhill 1-0, Dougie Freedman scoring the Barnet goal, while Gillingham won their first league match between the two sides, 2-1. The last season that the two sides met in the league was 1995-96, after which Gillingham were promoted. The Gills did the double over Barnet that season winning 2-0 at Underhill, their only win so far at Barnet and then won 1-0 at the Priestfield Stadium.
In 2008/09, the two sides met at Underhill and the game ended in a 2-2 draw with Barnet’s goals coming from Michael Leary and John O’Flynn. The return match at the Priestfield saw one of Barnet’s most accomplished away performances since the club returned to the football league in 2005 with Paul Furlong putting the Bees ahead in the first half and then winning a penalty in the second half which was converted by John O’Flynn for a fine 2-0 win against a side that was promoted soon after to League One and was managed at the time by current Barnet manager, Mark Stimson. Former Bees, Simon King, Barry Fuller and Josh Wright were in the Gillingham side that day.
In 2010/11, Gillingham won 2-1 at Underhill after Kevin Gallen had given the Bees an early lead. Barnet got their revenge with a crucial 4-2 win over Easter at the Priestfield Stadium. Izale McLeod scored a hat trick after Mark Byrne had put the Bees ahead. McLeod also missed a penalty.
Early last season, the two sides met at Underhill in the league with Barnet twice coming back from a goal down to earn a pointin a 2-2 draw. Izale McLeod scored both the Barnet goals.In the return at Gillingham, the home side won 3-1 after Clovis Kamdjo had put the Bees ahead. Former Bee, Jordan Obita scored for Gillingham.
The last time that Barnet and Gillingham played each other in the FA Cup was in 2007/08 when they met in the 1st round of the FA Cup. Barnet old boys, Simon King and Barry Cogan returned to Underhill with Gillingham. Barnet went through to the second round after a fine 2-1 win, having been a goal down at half time after the Gills went ahead through David Graham. Ismail Yakubu equalised just past the hour following a Josh Wright free kick and then two minutes later, Liam Hatch scored the winner with a fine header following a superb Kenny Gillet cross. The Barnet team that day was, Harrison; Devera, Burton, Yakubu, Gillet; Carew, Bishop, Wright (Leary), Puncheon; Hatch, Birchall (Nicolau).
The previous cup meeting between the two sides had been back in 1947 when Barnet travelled to Gillingham for a 4th qualifying round match and went down 3-1 with Ron Phipps scoring the Barnet goal.
The two clubs met last season in the 2nd round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy with Barnet winning 3-1 with two goals from Izale McLeod and one from Mark Marshall.
In 2005, the two sides met in a pre-season friendly at the Priestfield Stadium and Gillingham won 3-0.