Tomorrow, Barnet entertain Northampton Town in the first of two crucial League Two matches to be played at Underhill in the next few days. For the Bees, it is vital that they start collecting points, particularly at home, and, in truth, nothing less than three points tomorrow will do.
A fine midweek performance in the FA Cup at the Valley, with the Bees being ever so unlucky to lose, has followed two promising performances at Torquay in the League and at home to Charlton in the original FA Cup tie. It is no coincidence that this has come with the return of some of the key players who have been out and the lack of any fresh injuries at the club. At last, manager, Mark Stimson can begin to look at a settled squad where there are now options available to him.
The game at the Valley saw Izale McLeod make his long awaited first performance for the Bees, coming on as a late substitute and he is in contention for a start tomorrow against Northampton. Bees’ fans have been looking forward to seeing a Steve Kabba/Izale McLeod front two for a while now and tomorrow they may get their wish. If they can steer clear of further injuries then they could prove to be a potent strike force at this level.
Leading scorer, Mark Byrne is also set to return after a knock in training ruled him out against Charlton and Jordan Parkes returns after suspension. Mark Stimson is now close to being able to play his strongest side, although early season regulars, Darren Dennehy and Daniel Leach are still out through injury. The Barnet side tomorrow could look like this:
Cole
Devera Uddin Basey Parkes
Francomb Southam Byrne Marshall
Kabba McLeod
Visitors, Northampton have also struggled this season and are just four points ahead of the Bees, in 20th place. They have won one and lost five of their away league matches so far this season. However, their only win came in their last away league match at Lincoln where they won 2-0. Their form has also improved recently and they have won three of their last four matches, including a 3-0 win in the FA Cup at Forest Green, so they clearly will not be easy to play against.
For Barnet it is crucial that they start to win more consistently at home and tomorrow would be an ideal time to start. Recent performances suggest that there is no reason why they shouldn’t claim three points at Underhill this weekend.
