Two goals from Kabongo Tshimanga either side of half-time saw the Bees secure their first EFL victory over Notts County at Meadow Lane, extending the club’s unbeaten run to seven games and keeping them within the reach of the play-offs with two games of the 2025/26 campaign remaining.
Dean Brennan made one change to the side that beat Barrow on home soil, with Anthony Hartigan coming in to captain the side and Phil Chinedu taking his place on the bench.
The Bees almost had the perfect start to the meeting at Meadow Lane, when Idris Kanu drove with the ball down the right flank, before pulling it back into the feet of Callum Stead in the centre of the box, but our number ten struck the ball inches wide of the post.
Anthony Hartigan played the ball over the top of the Magpies’ backline in a bid to launch another attack inside the first ten minutes as Barnet looked for an opener.
The first corner of the afternoon for the Bees came eight minutes after kick-off, but Ryan Glover couldn’t direct his header at goal.
Tom Iorpenda took aim from outside the area as the momentum began to swing in favour of the hosts, but the ball fell kindly into the hands of Cieran Slicker.
Former Bees’ forward Lee Ndlovu fought off Nick Tavares and found himself one-on-one with our Scottish shot-stopper, but Slicker came off his line to deny the striker.
As the hosts continue to knock on the door, Keenan Bennetts got past Kanu down the right and sent a crossing the danger area, but an important toe from Romoney Crichlow sent the ball in the opposite direction of the Barnet goal.
Magpies’ captain Matt Palmer struck an effort just over the bar as the team in black and white put the pressure on the visitors from North-West London.
With 20 minutes on the clock, Tshimanga received the ball in the area and did well to keep hold of it, before turning to face goal, but County shot-stopper James Belshaw came to collect before our number 20 could get his shot away.
It was the 28-year-old striker who gave the Bees the lead with his 11th goal in black and amber. A short corner was played into Glover, who put the ball across the face of goal and Tshimanga was there to back-heel the ball past Belshaw to give us the advantage after 30 minutes.
The lead was short-lived, when Glover fouled Ndlovu in the box, with Jodi Jones stepping up so slot his spot-kick past Slicker to level proceedings.
Stead couldn’t keep his header on target, heading over the bar from a free-kick as the Bees looked to restore their lead before the break.
Nnamdi Ofoborh fancied his chances after finding himself with the ball in plenty of space, but he dragged his effort wide.
The hosts found themselves one-on-one with Slicker again through Matt Dennis, but our number 29 again made himself equal to the black and white shirt to deny the Magpies’ number 19.
Ofoborh and Mark Shelton both came close in added time, but the tie remained level heading into the break.
Half-time: Notts County 1-1 Barnet FC
The Bees’ first chance of the second 45 saw Hartigan set up Glover, who got himself in a position to shoot on the edge of the box, but his effort flew over the bar.
Kabby almost had his brace a few minutes after the restart, with Ofoborh finding the poacher in the box, but the shot from our number 20 agonisingly bounced off the post and was cleared for a corner.
Glover took the ball to the byline as Barnet were hungry to find a second early in the second-half, playing it into the feet of Adam Senior. Our number 25 sent a powerful effort but it went wide of the post.
County went on a counter-attack as the hosts also looked to take control of the tie, with Iorpenda putting the ball on a plate across goal, but Ndlovu couldn’t connect with it to put it past Slicker.
Dean Brennan made a double change on the hour mark, bringing on Phil Chinedu and Kane Smith in place of Ofoborh and Kanu.
It was that man again who scored our second and got us back in front at Meadow Lane. Stead sent a wonderful ball into the area and Tshimanga latched onto it for our second of the afternoon and goal number 12 in a Barnet shirt.
Ben Winterburn replaced Hartigan with ten minutes of normal time to go.
Kabby could’ve had a hat-trick late on when he found himself isolated with the ball in the final third, but he struck the ball wide of the far post.
Our final change of the afternoon came on 86 minutes, with Diallang Jaiyesimi replacing Glover for the final stages.
County continued to search for an equaliser and almost found when Belshaw emerged from his area and looped the ball over to the feet of Jayden Luker who only had Slicker to beat, but the Bees’ shot-stopper was able to claim it.
With eight minutes added to the 90, the Bees gave away a couple of free-kicks in dangerous areas, but the final touches from black and white shirts were unable to find their way into the back of the net and the referee’s whistle confirmed that the three points would be travelling back South to the capital.
Full-time: Notts County 1-2 Barnet FC
Line-up: Slicker, Senior, Stead, Kanu (Smith, 61’), Glover (Jaiyesimi, 86’), Hartigan (Winterburn, 80’), Shelton, Tshimanga, Crichlow, Tavares, Ofoborh (Chinedu, 61’)