Manager, Ian Hendon started with the same side that began Saturday’s match against Port Vale and the Bees took the lead on 13 minutes when Albert Jarrett crossed for John O’FLYNN to head home from close range. Before the goal, Barnet had already come close with efforts on goal from Jarrett and Yannick Bolasie.
However, the Robins drew level 8 minutes later when Andy Gallinagh headed home from six yards to make the score 1-1. Things got worse for the Bees when Ben Marshall, who scored against Barnet for Northampton early in the season, made it 2-1 to the Robins, heading home from close range on 37 minutes. Two minutes before the break, Paul Furlong headed just wide from a Bolasie cross. Just before half time, Mark Hughes was booked, joined Ahmed Deen and Kenny Gillet who had received yellow cards earlier.
HT: Robins 2 Bees 1
Barnet brought on Albert Adomah in place of Yannick Bolasie at the start of the second half. Justin Richards had a shot for the Robins saved by Jake Cole. Marshall and Richards the combined and Richards made it 3-1 on 54 minutes as Cheltenham grew in confidence. Eleven minutes from time, 16 year old, Kofi Lockhart-Adams came on for Gillet to become the youngest ever first team player for Barnet.
Four minutes from time, Ben Marshall made it 4-1 to Cheltenham. A minute later and things went from bad to worse for the Bees with Ismail Yakubu putting through his own net to make it 5-1 to Cheltenham, which was how it ended.
An absolute horror story for the Bees. A result that was as bad as anything in the first part of last season under Paul Fairclough, which has seen the Bees slump down to 11th after taking just 2 points from their last four league matches. Barnet’s recent form gives the impression that we are not as good as we thought we were and there is a need for some team strengthening in January. On the positive side, despite this poor run, the Bees are still only two pints off a play off place.
What is perplexing is that after organising so many good loan deals when he first took over, Ian Hendon has not used the loan system recently when the defence was down to its bare bones and we clearly needed some extra quality in midfield and up front. There will need to be a long hard think before Saturday’s FA cup match away at Accrington. Tonight’s defeat was Barnet’s sixth successive away defeat in all competitions. Things are beginning to look a mite worrying.
FT: Robins 5 Bees
Barnet: Cole; Deen, Yakubu, Leach, Gillet (Lockhart-Adams 79); Bolasie (Adomah 45), M Hyde, Hughes, Jarrett; Furlong (Hyde 65) O’Flynn.
Cheltenham: Brown: Diallo, Gallinagh, Haynes, Bird; Low, Marshall (Watkins 91), Lewis; Richards, Hayles.
Att: 2331