Barnet travel up to Lincolnshire tomorrow afternoon to play Lincoln City at Sincel Bank. The Bees have not won at Sincel Bank since the 1994/95 season and Barnet have not gained a single point there since returning to the league in 2005.
Last season, the Imps completed the double over Barnet winning 1-0 at home on the opening day of the season and then triumphing 2-1 at Underhill thanks to an injury time winner. However, all runs have to end at some point. There was a time when we always lost to Grimsby Town and that hoodoo has ended now with two wins over the Mariners in the last two seasons before Lincoln’s close rivals were relegated to the Blue Square Premier in May. Indeed the Imps are the only remaining Lincolnshire club in the league now following the relegation of not just Grimsby, but also Boston United in 2007.
Last season, Lincoln only finished a single place above the bees in the league and they have not made a particularly good start this season, currently lying in 18th, a place below Barnet, in the League Two table. They have yet to win at home this season following a 2-0 defeat to Torquay and a 1-1 draw with Crewe. Their sole victory has come in a 1-0 win at Gillingham. They lost at Rotherham on the opening day of the season and last Saturday lost 2-1 at Chesterfield.
The Imps’ scorer last Saturday, Andy Hutchinson will miss tomorrow’s match with a foot injury, but the Imps will be able to call upon midfield players, Gavin McCallum, signed in the summer from Hereford United and Albert Jarrett, who returns after international duty with Sierra Leone. Jarrett, of course, was at Underhill last season and was voted Barnet’s most improved player by the supporters and also scored the winning goal against Rochdale on the final day of the season and ensuring the Bees’ League Two safety. Many Barnet supporters were surprised that he was released shortly afterwards and no doubt he will be keen to show that Barnet were wrong to let him go.
Barnet will be without key defender, Darren Dennehy who has torn a ligament in his right foot and could be out of the reckoning for some time. Daniel Leach is likely to replace him with Jordan Parkes continuing at left back after coming on as a substitute against Cheltenham.
The excellent 3-1 win over Cheltenham has hopefully kick started the Bees’ season and it is to be hoped that they can show the same kind of form at Lincoln tomorrow. The enforced change of Parkes for Dennehy is likely to be the only change tomorrow with two goal loan striker, Phil Walsh playing his last game for the Bees before his loan expires. However, Mark Stimson has made it clear that he wants to extend the Dagenham man’s time at Underhill and is in talks with his parent club. So tomorrow’s team should look something like this:
Cole
Devera Leach Uddin Parkes
Holmes Southam Byrne Marshall
Walsh Kabba