I for one have no idea how Barnet didn't get a point out of the game. In fact, we should have won that match fair and square, but Lincoln's goalkeeper Joe Anyon was on fine form. No, that's an understatement, I think he was phenomenal. Not many people are giving as much praise to him as I am for some reason, but some of the saves he made were brilliant. The other 144 Bees fans that made the journey up to Lincoln were making out as if Barnet put in a disgraceful performance, but we dominated and played well, but it just wasn't our day. Sure, Barnet didn't play like Barcelona did the other season when they won every competition they entered including the Champions League, but our display was far better than Lincoln's was and we were very, very unlucky. Lincoln are a poor team in my opinion, even by League 2 standards and I think they will be down near the bottom of the table when the season concludes along with the likes of Macclesfield Town, Stockport County and us. Lincoln only scored through a penalty, and Jake Cole dived so early that anyone could have tapped the ball the other side of him to score. From where I was sitting, it was a clear penalty that Joe Devera gave away and the replays that I have seen have done nothing to make me change my mind I'm afraid.
Beforehand, the coach journey seemed to go so slowly, even with no traffic on the roads. This was until we passed Peterborough, when I decided to listen to a wee bit of Lady Gaga and from then on, the coach seemed to zoom on to Newark, where we stopped off for lunch. I have never been to a place where everybody talks so quickly, even people in France talking French to you are easier to understand! Anyway, after a few failed attempts of trying to get various shop keepers to slow down their speech, we were on our way up the road to Lincoln.
I have been fortunate enough to go to various stadiums up and down the country, from Old Trafford and Wembley, to The Don Valley Stadium and Kenilworth Road. On most occasions the away fans travelling by coach usually get a hostile reception, which to be perfectly honest is often very exciting. Unless you're walking past a pub by Grimsby Town's Stadium, just up the road from Lincoln, having bottles chucked at you before a vital relegation encounter on the penultimate day of the season. At places like these, even stewards are unwelcoming and harsh. But, at Lincoln, all the home fans gave us a smile and the stewards and stewardesses and programme sellers were all more than happy to talk to help us, which was nice.
Back inside the stadium when the players were warming up, one particular player caught the eye of my friend, who was marvelling at the quality of shots that this particular player was firing into the net past an anxious reserve goalkeeper. That player turned out to be Albert Jarret who was wearing striking lime green boots- very fetching… not. He was another player who played very well, creating the early missed opportunity for Ben Hutchinson as well as the ball into the penalty area that led to Joe Devera fouling the attacker. I'm not sure why we allowed him to leave us on a free transfer during the summer, and his performances for Lincoln this season earned him a call up for Sierra Leone last week. Jarret wasn't awful for us, in fact he made quite a few vital assists, as well as scoring the goal against Rochdale on the final day of last season, but it seemed like time and time again, the ball was simply played to him on the touchline, only for it to go right through his legs and out for a throw-in. Maybe the Lincolnshire air has helped him keep concentration more than the pollution of north London!
Barnet's best player was Jordan Parkes. He looked solid when the likes of Albert Jarret were running at him with the ball, and also he had a few decent attempts to score himself. Only Mark Stimson knows why Mark Marshall was being played down the centre of the park. He is clearly a winger who loves to run past defenders and put crosses into the box, so I think he is being wasted out of position. In the home games against Bury and Cheltenham respectively, his best pieces of play have when he's been on the wing and cut inside to frighten defenders. He reminds me a lot of Nani at Manchester United, using a wide variety of tricks, and not afraid of taking a shot on.
Daniel Leach and Anwar Uddin again looked shaky and nervous at the back. They can both head the ball very well when they are not under pressure, but as soon as an opposition player is challenging for the same ball, they are grabbing at the shirts of the opposition giving fouls away left, right and centre.
Next week, it's Rotherham at Underhill and Adam Le Fondre will be looking to score his weekly goal or two. I'm not sure how Le Fondre is still playing in League 2, and why he is trying to negotiate a new deal at Rotherham, because I think he could easily score goals in The Championship. We will just have to try and contain him, I suppose.
Footnote: Albert Adomah's goal for Bristol City against Scunthorpe was something special. If you get a chance to see it on the BBC website I suggest you do. I'm glad he has settled down well there and it was nice to see him at Underhill last Saturday for the Cheltenham game when The Championship had a week off.
Also, John O'Flynn scored twice for Exeter away at Hartlepool. I hope he enjoys travelling, he still has Carlisle United to visit later in the season!
