Blimey, I can’t believe it, I don’t think any Bees fan can, we have finally won a game! A convincing one it was too, I think we were unlucky that we only won 3-1; it could have been 5 or 6 if the truth be told. It would have been nice to score a few more to make our goal difference more respectable after that humiliating 7-0 defeat at Crewe. Hopefully, Barnet are saving a few more goals for the Lincoln game at Sincil Bank next weekend. Mark Stimson, of course, hasn’t had any of his sides win an away game for a hell of a long time; Gillingham didn’t win one away game in League 1 last year, so here’s to him breaking this woeful record on the anniversary of 9/11.
I can’t recall a team coming to Underhill in the past few years, who played as negatively as Cheltenham did, in fact, with the exception of an effort in first half injury time, the only noticeable chance they had was the first minute free kick, and what a goal it was too, by the way. In Mark Marshall, I think we have found another player like Albert Adomah; a player who is not afraid to run at the opposition defenders creating chances for his team mates, and also, he can make the most of his goal scoring chances himself. That boy is so fast, it’s scary and I think he will be a major factor to Barnet’s season if we are going to beat the odds and stay up in League 2 for another season. With his goal on Saturday to make the score 3-1, he showed a lot of composure when he found the ball at his feet with the goalkeeper behind him, and for him to score his second goal in as many matches was very impressive.
I was a bit disappointed not to see our new signing Charlie Taylor get a run out on Saturday. It would have been nice for him to replace Phil Walsh in the second half, rather than Danny Kelly. That brings me onto Phil Walsh, a player who Barnet have been crying out for. He wins everything in the air, he can hold the ball up well, and of course, he is a predator in the penalty area. Both his goals came from him being in the right place at the right time; he is a bit like Peter Crouch in that respect, and also he looks like a taller version of Andrei Arshavin! It will be a shame to see him go when his loan from Dagenham and Redbridge expires, and playing like he did against Cheltenham, I think he really could cause a threat to League 1 defenders.
Rarely do I feel like my personal safety is in danger at football matches, but when I turned around from where I was standing to see a piece of rubber burning in the stand next to me that some idiotic Cheltenham fan must have lit up, I believed that the whole stand might catch alight. Thankfully, I was just being a bit paranoid, and after a lot of fussing from a dozen stewards and policemen, the piece of rubber was finally taken away. It was like I was watching a dull Seria B (Second Division) Italian match with the fans growing impatient, just with stewards actually making a great big fuss over the piece of rubber, rather than beating the supporters with batons.
This was when Barnet where actually ahead, and you knew it wasn’t going to be Cheltenham’s day when their substitute Marlon Pack played a lovely cross field ball from the centre circle, right into the heart of the Main Stand, with a few minutes remaining.
Hopefully, next weekend at Lincoln will be just as entertaining and positive from The Bees!