Barnet welcome Salford City in our final home game of 2025 as they look to turn around Saturday’s disappointing result away from home and make it back-to-back wins on home soil for the second time this season.
The Bees’ impressive unbeaten run on the road came to an end at the SMH Group Stadium on Saturday, with Paul Cook’s Chesterfield handing Barnet a 3-1 defeat in Derbyshire.
Lee Bonis struck first for the hosts, despite Cieran Slicker saving the initial effort, and the Bees should’ve been awarded a penalty for handball, but the Spireites number ten doubled his tally on 38 minutes when Barnet failed to fully clear a Chesterfield corner.
Mark Shelton nodded home a Kane Smith corner to close the deficit before the break and when the Bees came out with the intensity in the second 45, Smith struck the inside of the left post and Callum Stead sent the ball into the hands of Spireites shot-stopper Zach Hemming from close-range as the Bees searched for an equaliser.
The momentum soon swung in the favour of the hosts again and Liam Mandeville scored a third late on to kill the game off to send the Bees home with nothing.
Barnet’s last five results:
Chesterfield FC 3-1 Barnet FC
Barnet 4-0 Bristol Rovers
Barnet FC 1-1 Harrogate Town
Gillingham FC 1-1 Barnet FC
Cambridge United 0-0 Barnet FC
From the dugout:
Connor Smith’s pre-match interview can be viewed HERE!
Salford:
Sat in the 6th-place play-off spot after 20 games, Salford City have so far won 10, lost three and drawn seven this season.
A club that has ambitions of reaching League One for the first time in their history, the Ammies just missed out on a play-off spot last campaign, finishing in 8th.
The Greater Manchester club have both scored and conceded 29 goals this season and have 13 players who have contributed all over the pitch.
The side’s two most recent league results have seen them come from behind to beat Colchester United and Crawley Town 4-3.
The Ammies were trailing 3-1 against the U’s at the Peninsula Stadium up until just before the half-an-hour mark, with Adebola Oluwo’s header, Fabio Borini’s spot-kick and Luke Garbutt’s sweet strike in added time turning the game around.
Salford City’s last five results:
Salford City 4-3 Colchester United
Fleetwood Town 1-1 Salford City
Salford City 4-0 Leyton Orient (FA Cup R2)
Salford City 2-7 Rotherham United (EFL Trophy)
Salford City 4-3 Crawley Town
In the opposition dugout:
Salford play under the leadership of 45-year-old Karl Robinson, who’s held his position since January 2024, guiding the club to a 9th-place League Two finish in his first full season in charge.
After his first experience of coaching in Liverpool’s academy, Robinson’s first managerial role saw him take charge of League One outfit MK Dons at just 29 years old, becoming the youngest EFL manager in history at the time of appointment.
After two fifth-place finishes with Milton Keynes and consecutive unsuccessful play-off campaigns, promotion to the Championship was confirmed in 2015.
After suffering relegation with the Buckinghamshire club a year later, Robinson spent four months with Charlton Athletic, before another two failed play-off charges, this time with Oxford United.
The Liverpool-born coach then turned to Leeds United, where he assisted Sam Allardyce for six months in the Championship.
A manager who is very well-respected by those up and down the pyramid, Robinson has a group of incredibly talented players at his disposal at Salford, with a blend of experience and athleticism, who play intense football and who can turn from defence to attack very quickly.
One to watch:
Yet another League Two side who don’t have an obvious standout player, but instead a range of talented individuals who are working extremely well together to try and achieve a common goal.
In the Ammies’ defence, Luke Garbutt is one to look out for, going forward as well as defensively. Over 2 years and over 100 appearances during his time in Manchester, the 32-year-old has played every minute of every league game so far this campaign.
The Everton academy graduate is also known for his collection of goals, most recently being totally unmarked on the edge of the box and sending it sweetly into the back of the net for Salford’s winner.
With over 50 appearances as an England youth international also under his belt, Garbutt’s defensiveness is complimented by his speed and agility in the final third, with his passing and ball control also a notable strength of his.
Also amongst the goals this season has been another defender and former Bees’ centre-back Adebola Oluwo, who is joint top scorer for the Ammies. The 26-year-old was part of Barnet’s National League title-winning squad, making him a desirable addition to Karl Robinson’s squad for the 2025/26 campaign.
Last time the two sides met:
The two sides have only met twice in their histories, in the 2018/19 Vanarama National League season.
Wesley Fonguck scored first in what ended in a 3-1 defeat for Barnet at the Hive, with Bees’ midfielder Mark Shelton scoring the Ammies’ third goal, before a 0-0 stalemate was played out at the Peninsula Stadium.
COYB