Barnet kicked off the new season with a game that really couldn’t have been much more difficult; away at leading Championship side, Birmingham City. Along with Head Coach, Mark Robson having his first senior match in charge, their were seven players making their Barnet debuts; Jordan Brown, Jonathan Fortune, Ahmed Abdulla, Olly Lee, Freddie Warren, Anthony Edgar and Jon Nurse with another four possible debutants on the bench; Sam Cowler, Elliot Johnson, Curtis Weston and George Sykes. There was no sign of Mark Byrne or new signing, Barry Fuller in the squad.
Birmingham fielded a strong side that included former Barnet striker, Marlon King. Another former Bee, Morgamo Gomis was on the bench.
Early on in the game, Barnet came close with Blues’ keeper, Lucas saving from Anthony Edgar who then saw an effort cleared off the line by Curtis Davies. Clovis Kamdjo then headed just over.
Edgar had a shot saved by Lucas on 28 minutes and two minutes later the Bees took a shock lead when Jordan Brown crossed for Jonathan NURSE to score his first Bees’ goal with a fine header. Unfortunately, the lead lasted just 7 minutes, the home side equalising with a penalty taken by former Bee, Marlon King following a challenge by Kamdjo in the penalty area that was seen as unfair.
On 45 minutes Barnet almost regained the lead when Ricky Holmes drilled in a shot which hit the post. The Bees went in at half time level, maybe justified in thinking they should be leading.
HT: Blues 1 Bees 1
Birmingham went ahead for the first time in the game just four minutes into the second half when Steven Caldwell headed home a Darren Ambrose corner. Ambrose then made it 3-1 just five minutes later with a shot from the edge of the penalty area.
That really ended any chance the Bees had and on 90 minutes, Peter Lovenkrands made it 4-1 before wade Elliot made it 5-1 three minutes into time added on.
FT: Blues 5 Bees 1
Barnet: O’Brien; Brown, Warren, Kamdjo, Fortune (Saville 79); Lee (Weston 64), Abdulla, Yiadom, Edgar; Nurse (Hyde 76), Holmes.
Subs: Cowler, Johnson, Vilhete, Sykes.
Att: 9905