Barnet travel to Burslem tomorrow to play Port Vale in the opening match of the 2012/13 League Two season. Clearly, after escaping relegation on the last day of the season in each of the last three years, the Bees will be looking for a much better season this time around and will want to spare the worries that the supporters have had to contend with since 2009.
Despite going out of the League Cup to Birmingham City in midweek, the Bees can take some heart after what was basically a sound performance that was not reflected in the 5-1 scoreline. Talking in the Barnet Times this week, Mark Robson said that “The only thing I’m disappointed with was the final ten minutes”. Robson was “delighted” with the side’s performance in the first half and even claimed that “we were outstanding”. He went on to talk about the positives that the players could take from the match and that “there were some really outstanding performances from a young team that has only just been put together”.
Robson appears to be have great confidence in the squad that he ahs assembled saying that “the boys realise that we are a good side” and that the players are “showing some real quality at the moment”. He went on to say that if the players can continue as they have been so far that the club can be “very optimistic for the rest of the campaign”.
Robson is hoping that Mark Byrne will be able to take some part in tomorrow’s game and he has suggested that there may still be more arrivals at the club before the transfer window closes at the end of this month. Robson has indicated on a few occasions that he is still looking for one or two experienced players to balance the fact that the squad is so young.
Port Vale also lost in the League Cup in midweek; losing 3-1 against Burnley, who knocked the Bees out of that competition in the 2nd round last season. Vale finished 12th last season after a 10 point deduction because of going into administration killed off their promotion hopes. Last season, Vale won 3-1 at Underhill early in the season but Barnet gained revenge with a 2-1 win at Vale Park in March with goals from Ben May and Andy Yiadom. The Bees have a good record at Vale Park being unbeaten now in the last four meetings there and having won two of them. Barnet beat Port Vale 1-0 on the last day of the 2010/11 season to secure their League two safety.