This weekend, Barnet travel to Northampton in yet another crucial end of season fixture; the fourth consecutive season when the Bees ended the season with the possibility of relegation to the Blue Square Premier.
Last Saturday, the Bees defeated Wycombe 1-0 in the last ever league game at Underhill and a sell out crowd of 6001, the largest crowd at Underhill since an FA Cup match against Portsmouth, in 1991 saw Barnet give a fine display of attacking football, particularly in the first half when the home side totally dominated play and created a number of clear cut chances for, amongst others, Jake Hyde, Curtis Weston and David Stephens. Wycombe keeper, Matt Ingram didn’t help the Bees’ cause with a succession of fine saves which kept the score goalless at half time.
In the second half, Barnet continued where they left off and Jake Hyde had an excellent chance of putting Barnet ahead following a fine cross from Keanu Marsh – Brown but headed straight at Ingram when anywhere else would probably have given the Bees the lead. Near misses by Edgar Davids and Stephens followed and it began to look as if it was going to be one of those days. The fans’ nerves weren’t helped when Wycombe put the ball in the net even if it was disallowed and the visitors, who should really have been dead and buried by half time, began to come more into the game, before Barnet sub, Luke Gambin provided the cross for Jake Hyde to slot home his 14th goal of the season with just 10 minutes left. That seemed to be it but there was yet more drama when, in time added on, Barnet conceded a penalty. Had Joel Grant capitalised on this opportunity, the Bees’ chances of escaping the drop would have appeared slim, but Graham Stack, a real tower of strength this season since arriving from Hibernian, pulled off a fine save to preserve all three points for Barnet and take them out of the bottom two, much to the delight of the, by now, tense and fraught, but happy Underhill crowd.
However, of course, the win could still be all in vain if things do not go Barnet’s way this weekend. The Bees now have 51 points from 45 games, a points tally that most any other season would have seen them safe but it remains to be seen if this will be the case this time round. In 2005/06, Barnet had the same amount of points coming into the last game of the season, away at Rushden & Diamonds, and, like this season, were still not safe. As it happened, Oxford United, on 49 points, accompanied Rushden, by then already doomed, to the Conference and Barnet, who won 2-1 at NenePark, finished 18th on 54 points. Like then, there are a number of clubs who could still go down.
After last Saturday’s results, only Accrington of the relegation contenders are now safe following their surprise 1-0 win at Bristol Rovers. Torquay’s 2-0 win at Morecambe saw them climb up to 18th but results could still conspire to send them down and the same applies to all the other sides below them. However, Torquay will need just a point from their home game with Bristol Rovers to secure safety and it seems unlikely they will go down and this also applies to Plymouth, who lost 1-0 at home to Rotherham last Saturday and travel to Rochdale. Not that the Pilgrims can rest that easy for a heavy defeat at Spotland could yet see the Devon club go down.
Perhaps the most intriguing fixture will take place in East London where Dagenham & Redbridge, in 21st place and on 51 points, are at home to YorkCity, winners at home to Southend last Saturday and one point and one place above the Daggers, who lost 1-0 at Aldershot, but with an inferior goal difference. A win for either side will see that club safe while other results could send the losers down. A draw could see them both safe, but if both Barnet and AFC Wimbledon were to win then Dagenham could join all but relegated, Aldershot in the Blue Square premier next season.
The Bees travel to Northampton, already certain of a play off place, and a win will guarantee safety but a draw would mean the Bees would have to rely on results at Dagenham, AFC Wimbledon and, possibly, Rochdale going there way while if the Bees lost then they would need the Wombles to fail to win their home game with Fleetwood. Whatever the results, failure to win, short of a ridiculous win for York, will send AFC down, while Aldershot need to win handsomely at promotion chasing, Rotherham and hope that either Barnet or Dagenham get heavily beaten. In reality, Aldershot are already doomed, short of a miracle. Given Barnet’s awful start to the season under Mark Robson, it’s something of a miracle that safety is still in the club’s own hands. Let’s all hope that come August, Barnet will be starting their new adventure at the Hive as a football league club.