The Bees are back on home soil again tonight in Sky Bet League Two action, welcoming Ian Holloway’s Swindon Town for a match-up under the Hive lights.
Barnet are hosting the second team nicknamed the Robins in the space of four days, but this side are not sitting near the bottom of the division and currently occupy one of the automatic promotion spots heading into the final 15 games of the campaign.
The Bees extended their unbeaten run to seven games in a goalless draw against Cheltenham Town on Saturday but were incredibly frustrated to not take the ruthlessness from up front against Walsall into the weekend’s tie.
The Bees dominated possession again throughout the 90 minutes, with 72% and had a total of 13 shots to Cheltenham’s five, but only two of them were on target from Nnamdi Ofoborh inside the first ten minutes when he sent a tame effort towards goal and substitute Britt Assombalonga who forced Joe Day into his only save of the afternoon in the second-half from close-range.
Barnet’s last five results:
Barnet 0-0 Cheltenham Town
Walsall 1-3 Barnet FC
Barnet FC 1-1 Crewe Alexandra
Shrewsbury Town 0-0 Barnet FC
Barnet FC 1-0 Tranmere Rovers
Swindon Town:
Currently sat third in the division and occupying the final automatic promotion spot on goal difference, the Robins are on track to earn promotion to League One after four years out.
After finishing a commendable 12th in the previous campaign, the Wiltshire-based club have been pipped as one of the teams to exit this division this time round.
Having won four of their last five games, the Robins are the sixth most in-form team in the campaign currently, but most recently endured defeat at the hands of Shrewsbury Town who have picked up seven points from a possible 12 since welcoming Gavin Cowan to the dugout.
Iwan Morgan broke the deadlock inside ten minutes of kick-off for the hosts at Croud Meadow and the Shrews almost held onto the lead going into the break, but Billy Kirkman found the equaliser in added time of the first-half.
The Salop turned it up a gear in the second 45, however, with George Lloyd and Nick Freeman both netting to give their side a two-goal cushion late in the game.
Despite having more possession and more of their chances being on target, Swindon’s cutting edge wasn’t as prominent as Shrewsbury’s, with only the one strike finding its way into the back of the net.
In the opposition’s dugout:
The man who came and saved the Reds from relegation last season and has now guided the club to an automatic promotion spot, Ian Holloway is one of the most prominent managerial figures in EFL history.
One of the most passionate people you’ll see pacing up and down the touchline, the 62-year-old is enjoying his first full season in charge of the Reds and has recorded 18 wins, 4 draws and ten losses over the past six and a half months.
The Gloucestershire-born boss added seven new faces to his side in last month’s January transfer window, with many coming on loan from Premier League outfits in the attacking areas and midfield.
Holloway is currently contending with injuries in the backline and in parts of their last four league games, has been without a recognised centre-back, but Junior Hoillett, Jamie Knight-lebel and Will Wright have all been in training in the lead up to tonight’s fixture.
One to watch:
It’s hard to look past the league’s top goalscorer as one of Swindon’s biggest threats, with Aaron Drinan having an excellent season in front of goal for the Robins, having found the back of the net 18 times in the league, with a further six in other competitions.
The 27-year-old Irishman has just committed his future to Swindon Town after signing a new long-term deal and has surpassed his best goalscoring campaign by five goals already, scoring 13 for Leyton Orient in the 2021/22 season.
The experienced forward is thriving up front for the Robins, with his quick feet and precise shooting being a key reason as to why Ian Holloway’s side sit where they do in the table.
Last time the two sides met:
In the early stages of the season, Barnet travelled to the County Ground looking for their first win of the season, with two late goals from substitutes Emmanuel Osadebe and Dennis Adeniran finding the target to send the Bees back to London with their first three points of the season and the start of an impressive unbeaten record on the road.
Despite withstanding some early pressure, the Bees dominated proceedings and had to be patient when it came to finding an opening, until Dean Brennan made a switch with 15 minutes to go, bringing on Osadebe who struck with five minutes of normal time to go from a throw in to give the Bees a late lead.
The boss then brought on our number 35 in added time, who doubled the Bees’ advantage in the 90+10th minute.
COYB