This Saturday, Barnet entertain Accrington Stanley, opponents from Barnet's Conference days. Accrington are having a fine season, currently lying 9th in the table after last season's relegation scare. Barnet have played Accrington six times previously. Last season, the first Football League meetings between the two clubs, Accrington did the double over the Bees with two 2-1 wins.
The first meeting with Accrington was in the 2003-04 season when Stanley came to Underhill early in the season and drew 0-0, a fine Danny Naisbett performance in goal keeping Accrington out. Ironically, it turned out to be his last game for Barnet. Accrington won the return 2-0.
The following season, Barnet won 3-0 at Underhill with goals from Simon King, Richie Graham and Liam Hatch, but Stanley got their revenge with a 4-1 hammering in the return in February, Giuliano Grazioli scoring Barnet's goal. However, the season ended with Barnet winning the Conference and promotion, a feat that Accrington equalled the following year.
Accrington are managed by John Coleman who is in his ninth season at the club. He has taken the club from the Unibond to League Football. He was voted Conference manager of the year in 2006.
Goalkeepers:
With regular keeper, former Partick Thistle player, Kenny Arthur out injured, Ian Dunbavin has come into the side. Dunbavin is an experienced keeper who first saw league action with Shrewsbury Town, but after that he played in the Conference first with the Shrews and subsequently with York City, Halifax Town, Morecambe and Scarborough before joining Accrington last summer.
18 year old Martin Fearon has come up through the youth system and has been on the subs bench recently but is yet to make his debut.
Defenders:
Right back and Captain, Peter Cavanagh was one of the key figures of Accrington's 2006 promotion team. He has played over 250 games for the club since joining from Liverpool in 2001.
At left back is Leam Richardson who played for Blackburn Rovers, Bolton and Blackpool from whom he joined Accrington two years ago.
Accrington's longest serving player is centre back, Robbie Williams, who is in his 8th season at the club and has made over 300 appearances. Alongside him in the middle of the defence is Mark Roberts. Roberts was a summer signing from Northwich Victoria having joined the Vics in January from Crewe.
Manager, John Coleman can also call on Philip Edwards and Sean Webb. Edwards, who can play in defence or midfield, moved to Accrington in January 2006 from Wigan Athletic. He played in all the back four positions last season, finishing at left back, but has only made one appearance this season. Webb was signed in the summer from Scottish club, Ross County and has one full international cap for Northern Ireland, which he won in June, when he played against the USA.
Midfield:
Romauld Boco is a Benin international with 19 caps and played for some time in France before joining Accrington in 2005. Scored Accrington's first two league goals following promotion, scoring against the Bees in Accy's 2-1 home win, but missed much of last season through injury.
Andrew Procter joined Stanley five years ago from non-league side, Great Harwood, at just 18, but has now made over 200 first team appearances for the club and has been capped by the England National Game XI.
Jay Harris joined Accrington last summer and made his debut against Barnet in Accrington's 2-1 home win against the Bees early in the season. His previous club was Everton.
Ian Craney is on loan to Stanley from Swansea City. He was a member of the Accrington side that won promotion from the Conference but joined Swansea for £150,000 last season. He won the Conference and Non-League player of the year awards in 2006 and scored 36 goals in 121 appearances for Stanley before his move to Swansea. He joined Accrington from Altrincham.
Former Chester player, Shaun Whalley arrived last November from non league Witton Albion, but has mostly been on the bench this season.
Experienced midfielder, Paul Carden joined Accrington from Conference side, Burton Albion but has also played for Blackpool, Rochdale, Doncaster, Chester and Peterborough and has been named player of the year for the last two clubs.
Strikers:
Roscoe D'Sane arrived in the summer from Ryman League club, AFC Wimbledon. Roscoe overcame a bad knee injury when playing for Aldershot in the Conference, missing the entire 2006-06 season which led to the club releasing him. In the previous two seasons he had been Aldershot's leading scorer and was again AFC Wimbledon's top scorer last season. He scored twice in Accrington's 3-2 win over Macclesfield last Saturday and will clearly be one to watch.
Paul Mullin is in his second spell at the club having been released in 1995. Following a career mainly at the lower non league level, he rejoined the Accys in 2000 and has been a huge success for the club, having been the club's leading scorer five times since he joined. He now holds the club's appearance record, was leading scorer last season and is again leading scorer with 7 goals in 12 matches so far this season.
John Miles was signed from Macclesfield Town in the summer where he made 138 appearances in four seasons.
Lee McEvilly is another player in his second spell with the club, having first joined Accrington in 2004 from Rochdale. He played 95 games for the club before moving to Wrexham in 2005, but he was released in the summer and rejoined Accrington. Scored both Wrexham goals in their 2-1 win at Underhill last season.
Experienced striker, Graham Branch made his name with Burnley where he spent nine years and made nearly 300 first team appearances. He previously played for Tranmere Rovers and Stockport County and joined Stanley during the summer.
Former Rochdale striker, Leighton McGovern signed for Accrington last November, but has only recently recovered from a broken ankle that kept him out for most of last season.
David Brown began his career at Manchester United, before getting a regular first team place at Hull City. After a short spell at Torquay United, he had a spell in non-league football with Chester, Telford and Hereford United, plus a loan spell at Burton Albion. Scored the equaliser for the Bulls in their 1-1 draw at home to Barnet, during the Bees' promotion season. He joined Accrington in March of that season.
