In the second part of our article of Ismail Yakubu, we will be looking at the period between 2005 and 2010 following Barnet’s promotion from the Conference to League Two.
Barnet made a fine start to the new season, back in the league after an absence of four years, but soon fell away and were always struggling to keep away from the relegation zone.
Yakubu started the season alongside Simon King in the centre of the defence but was injured in the second game of the season, away at Northampton, where he sustained an injury early on in the match. Ismail came back for the match away at Cheltenham but broke down after just 17 minutes and then didn’t return until October. However, he returned just in time for the biggest date in the club’s season, namely the trip to Manchester United in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup. Unfortunately, Barnet lost 4-1 with the infamous sending off of goalkeeper, Ross Flitney now part of Underhill folk law. At the beginning of April, Yakubu was injured again and missed the remaining games of the season. The season was a disappointing one for the club and for Yakubu, with the team almost being relegated after just one season back. Yakubu’s only goal of the season was a stabbed effort from a corner in the club’s 2-1 home win over Peterborough on Boxing Day.
2006/07 saw the Bees struggle at first with the club losing their first three league games of the season. Yakubu missed the beginning of the season through injury, finally returning to the side for the 2nd round, Carling Cup tie at Championship side, Leeds United, the bees losing 3-1. A run of poor results saw the club fall to 22nd in the league, hovering over the drop zone, but, a resurge of form for the team in which the team won 7 league games out of 10 saw the club move up to 11th in the table, just four points outside the play-offs. Yakubu scored a goal against Mansfield Town, heading home an in swinging Jason Puncheon corner in a 2-1 home win.
Barnet also had an exciting FA Cup run defeating League One side, Northampton 4-1 in the 2nd round at Underhill. In the 3rd round, Barnet beat Championship side, Colchester United to reach the 4th round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history, Yakubu scoring Barnet’s first goal, a shot which took a deflection and looped over the Colchester keeper’s head. Unfortunately, the Bees went out in the 4th round losing 2-0 at home to another Championship side, Plymouth Argyle.
Ismail missed the last four matches of the season through injury and indeed he did seem to be coming more injury prone. Barnet finished a comfortable 14th.
During the summer, a number of Bees’ favourites such as Dean Sinclair, Nicky Bailey, Simon King and Richard Graham left the club and manager, Paul Fairclough brought in a number of fresh new faces, mainly from non-league football for the 2007/08 season.
Yakubu started alongside the experienced, Sagi Burton who had been brought to the club from Shrewsbury Town. Barnet made a poor start again with just one point from the first three league matches and a heavy 5-2 defeat at Norwich City in the 1st round of the Carling Cup. Yakubu was injured in the Bees’ fine 4-2 away win at Stockport County and missed the next 6 matches, but returned in time for the 1st round, FA Cup tie at home to Gillingham, Yakubu scoring the equalizer following a Josh Wright free kick. Barnet went on to knock the League One side out of the Cup, winning 2-1.
Yakubu was sent off in the 3-0 home defeat by Grimsby Town, but then returned to the side and scored the winning goal in a memorable 1-0 win at MK Dons in January, Yakubu thumping the ball home following a Puncheon corner. The Bees started the year well, drawing away at Wycombe and then winning away at MK Dons and Hereford United as Barnet’s form improved. However, there followed an alarming dip in form which saw the club lose five matches in a row as the club slumped alarmingly down the table, something of a trend in recent seasons. Thankfully, the Bees poor form was arrested and the club climbed the table to finish 12th, their first top half finish since promotion from the Conference in 2005. Barnet also reached the 4th round of the FA Cup again for the second time running, before losing 1-0 to League One side, Bristol Rovers at Underhill. Yakubu scored his third goal of the season, a header from a Nicky Nicolau cross in the 3-2 win over Wrexham. However, that was the last game of the season as Yakubu missed the last eight matches through injury, an event that was now becoming quite regular.
Before the 2008/09 season started, there was a lot of talk about Barnet going up, but there seemed to be little in the way of squad strengthening and star winger, Jason Puncheon had gone to Plymouth Argyle. Barnet got off to a dreadful start losing their first seven matches of the season, including going out of the Carling Cup and the Johnstone’s paint Trophy at the first time of asking. Ismail Yakubu’s form during the first half of the season, as Barnet struggled to keep their head above the drop zone, was patchy, at best, in what was probably his worst spell of form since making his first team debut.
It was Slate September till Barnet won their first game of the season, a 1-0 win at Grimsby. The following Saturday, Yakubu scored the winner with a header from a corner at home to Accrington after John O’Flynn had missed a penalty.
Yakubu also scored the goal that kept the Bees in the FA Cup for a while against Rochdale at Underhill, firing home after Nicky Deverdics’s free kick had rebounded to him. Unfortunately, Barnett lost the replay 3-2 after extra time, having been 2-0 up.
The arrival of Gary Breen in November had a positive affect on Yakubu’s form and slowly, his normal form returned as Breen and Yakubu formed an effective centre back partnership, the experienced Irish international helping to restore Yakubu’s confidence.
Soon after, manager, Paul Fairclough resigned and Ian Hendon took over as caretaker boss. Having slipped to 21st in the table, the side began to recover under Hendon’s reign, winning three and drawing one in a good spell of form during February and March, Yakubu scoring in a fine 1-1 draw at Chesterfield, stabbing home a loose ball to give the Bees the lead. Barnet ended the season in a safe position of 17th and Yakubu ended the season without an injury.
The 2009/10 season dawned with new hope for the Bees that this, maybe, could be the year that the club made the play-offs. Ian Hendon had assembled a strong squad, having had a fine last few months the previous season as the Bees had climbed to safety and after a losing their first match of the season at Lincoln City and going out, somewhat unluckily to Watford in the League Cup, the Bees made their best start to the season for years, climbing to the top of League Two after a Friday night, 3-1 win away at Northampton and taking the scalp of League One high flyers, Millwall in the JPT with Yakubu scoring the second goal following an Albert Adomah corner.
Unfortunately, it was down hill for the Bees from thereon in. The club had a handful of wins at home as their away form fell away. Yakubu scored the opening goal of the 3-0 home win over Darlington and also grabbed a goal in the 2nd round Fa Cup tie away at Accrington heading home from an Albert Jarrett cross. It was to prove the last goal that Ish would score in Barnet colours. Following the 1-1 draw at home to Torquay United, injury kept Yakubu out for the rest of the season, a period of over three months. The match against Torquay was to prove his last game in a Barnet shirt. Ismail must have been frustrated as he saw the Bees tumble further down the table and have to worry about whether or not the club would stay up even on the last day of the season. Happily, Barnet prevailed and maintained their League status, but this week the club announced that Yakubu was to be released from his contract and allowed to leave the club to the surprise and disappointment of many Barnet fans. I’m sure all Barnet fans wish Ismail all the very best in the future and look forward to seeing him back at Underhill with his new club some time in the future. I’m pretty certain that he will get a pretty good damn reception at Underhill!!
Ismail Yakubu’s playing record for Barnet (2005-2010)
|
|
League Two |
FA Cup |
League Cup |
JPT/LDV |
Total |
|
2005/06 |
26 Goals: 1 |
1 |
1 |
2* |
30 Goals: 1 |
|
2006/07 |
28(1) Goals: 1 |
4 Goals: 1 |
1 |
2 |
35(1) Goals: 2 |
|
2007/08 |
28 Goals: 2 |
6 Goals: 1 |
|
|
34 Goals: 3 |
|
2008/09 |
37(1) Goals: 3 |
2 Goals: 1 |
1 |
|
40(1) Goals: 4 |
|
2009/10 |
25 Goals: 2 |
3 Goals: 1 |
1 |
2 Goals: 1 |
31 Goals: 4 |
|
|
144(2) Goals: 9 |
16 Goals: 4 |
4 |
6 Goals: 1 |
170(2) Goals: 14 |
*Barnet played that season in the last LDV tournament. All season figures after this are in respect of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.