Four goals from four different goalscorers and a clean sheet contributed to an impressive Barnet victory on home soil under the lights against a struggling Bristol Rovers side.
Dean made one change to the side that shared the points with Harrogate last time out, with Anthony Hartigan captaining the side and Callum Stead taking his place on the bench.
Joe Hugill returned to the squad after an injury that occurred in training and ruled him of the opening two ties of the campaign.
The opening stages saw Bristol Rovers deploy a high line from the referee’s first whistle, but the visitors couldn’t create any chances to test the Bees’ backline.
Barnet’s first entry into the Pirates’ box saw Anthony Hartigan play the ball into the feet of Britt Assombalonga, who played the ball across the six-yard box, but there was no amber and black shirt in a position to poke it home from close-range.
Kane Smith then carried the ball forward and played it into the feet of Ryan Glover, who worked the ball well in the box, but he frustratingly struck into the side netting.
The Bees took the lead shortly after and Glover was involved in the action,providing the assist and delivering the ball beautifully to the head of the on-running Adam Senior who headed home to give us the lead inside 15 minutes.
A chance fell at the other end following the restart for Luke Thomas in blue and white, capitalising on a mix up in the Barnet back-line, but his powerful effort was just over the bar.
Nnamdi Ofoborh doubled our lead on the half an hour mark and it was the number 28 who teed himself up nicely with the ball on his left foot, before switching to his right to send a sweet strike soaring into the back of the net to increase the Bees’ advantage.
The visitors enjoyed a spell later on in the first-half, putting pressure on Cieran Slicker in between the Barnet sticks, but they were unable to find a way through and the momentum soon swung in favour of the hosts as the clock ticked to the half-way stage.
Senior could’ve had a second when Smith found him totally unmarked in the middle of the box, but our number five couldn’t control the ball and sent it skyward from close-range and the hosts had a two-goal cushion heading into half-time.
Half-time: Barnet FC 2-0 Bristol Rovers
The first Bees’ effort of the second-half came just minutes after the restart. Assombaloga received the ball out on the right-hand side and found Glover alone in a dangerous area and our number 15 struck an effort towards goal, but it was deflected out for a corner.
Bristol Rovers made a couple of changes at the break and were able to take hold of possession for a period, striking goalwards through Kacper Lopata, with Senior clearing it off the line, before another effort from a blue and white shirt was tipped over the bar from Slicker, but the score remained in the Bees’ favour.
Our first change came just before the hour mark, with Callum Stead coming on in place of Anthony Hartigan.
Senior sent a delightful ball into the area ten minutes later and it met the head of a blue and white shirt who directed it goalwards and forced his own shot-stopper to tip it out for a corner.
A double attacking change then came, with Britt Assombalonga and Idris Kanu being replaced by Rhys Browne and Oli Hawkins.
The visitors continued to put pressure on the Bees’ defence, but again to no avail.
Minutes later, Mark Shelton was fouled in the box and after missing his penalty against Harrogate Town, stepped up to cooly slot his spot-kick past Luke Southwood.
Dean Brennan made another double switch after the 80th minute, with Shelton and Glover being replaced by Ben Winterburn and Joe Hugill who returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Hawkins came agonisingly close in the closing stages, with Browne playing the ball into his feet. Our number 12 struck but it was tipped onto the post by Southwood and out for a corner.
Callum Stead added a fourth late on, slotting home from close-range to round off a comprehensive win for Barnet on home soil.
Full-time: Barnet FC 4-0 Bristol Rovers
Line-up: Slicker, Collinge, Senior, Kanu (Hawkins, 70’), Glover (Hugill, 81’), Hartigan (Stead, 60’), Shelton (Winterburn, 81’), Smith, Tavares, Assombalonga (Browne, 70’), Ofoborh
Attendance: 2,157 with 414 visitors