A first half brace from left back Andy Sandell ensured a comfortable win for Wycombe against struggling Barnet at Adam’s Park on Tuesday night.
Wycombe never looked liked losing the game, and almost took the early initiative after just 3 minutes but Stuart Beavon could only hit the post from a tight angle. Adam Sandell, who troubled the Bees throughout the match, almost scored a few moments after that, but his shot from the edge of the area was well tipped over the crossbar by Jake Cole.
Sandell though, didn’t have to wait long for his first goal of the evening and it came after just 19 minutes; after he rose highest from a Matt Bloomfield corner to power the ball into the goal via the underside of the bar with his head.
The Chairboys soon doubled the lead in spectacular fashion when Lewis Montrose rifled the ball into the top left hand corner of the goal from 25 yards which left Jake Cole diving in despair.
After an uneventful next quarter of an hour, the Buckinghamshire side found themselves 3-0 up before half time. Another Matt Bloomfield corner, this time from the opposite side of the pitch, yet again resulted in some atrocious Barnet defending and Sandell was allowed to get a free header on the ball that was spilled by Jake Cole before rolling into the net.
For Barnet, the halftime whistle couldn’t come soon enough, but not before Sandell almost grabbed a first half hat-trick, this time from a free kick. After a foul by Jordan Parkes on 37year old Gareth Ainsworth, Sandell’s shot whistled inches wide of the goal and the former Bristol Rovers defender looked like he was really enjoying himself in a first half that was incredibly one sided.
To add to Barnet’s lacking attacking force, Mark Stimson brought on Phil Walsh and Charlie Taylor at the interval and this gamble did eventually pay off when Dagenham and Redbridge loanee Walsh, fired the ball down the centre of the goal from a long way out with a quarter of an hour remaining. The start of an unlikely Bees comeback?
Well, no, ten minutes later, with Wycombe on the front foot, Joe Devera awkwardly sliced a clearance into the path of Matt Bloomfield who beat Jake Cole with a driven shot from 20 yards, with the home fans sent into raptures. After his two assists for Adam Sandell, it was a fine way to cap a brilliant team performance.
It was a damp night already, and Steve Kabba dampened the night ever so slightly by scoring a consolation goal, knocking the ball in the goal from close range after a goalmouth scramble. It wasn’t a goal that Wanderers manager Gary Waddock would have liked seeing his team concede.
Next up for Barnet is two home league games against Hereford and Bradford, with another home game sandwiched in the middle, Southend United in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
Man of the Match: Adam Sandell
Bees Man of the Match: Steve Kabba