It was the Callum Stead show at The Hive this afternoon, as his five of his goals and a first Bees’ goal for Romoney Crichlow saw Barnet cruise past Gillingham in North-West London.
Dean Brennan made one change to the side that beat Notts County last Saturday, with Danny Collinge returning from suspension and Nnamdi Ofoborh taking his place on the bench.
Stead opened the scoring just six minutes after kick-off, nodding home a delivery from Ryan Glover to give the Bees an early lead from an short corner taken by Anthony Hartigan.
We almost found a second when Glover put the ball in the box yet again, but Mark Shelton’s headed effort was over the bar.
The Gills levelled proceedings shortly after, with Sullivan Booth firing home from close-range for the equaliser.
The Bees restored their lead a couple of minutes later following a mix-up in the Gillingham backline. Kabongo Tshimanga picked up the ball and drove forward, before selflessly playing it into the path of Stead who slotted home for his brace.
Our number ten had his hat-trick not even a minute later. Hartigan threaded the ball into the area and found Crichlow, who found Stead. The 26-year-old took a touch before tucking the ball into the left corner for his third of the afternoon.
It was almost four when the clock struck 20 minutes. The returning Danny Collinge set up Idris Kanu at the left post, but our number 11 couldn’t guide the ball on target.
Bradley Dack looked to pull one back for the visitors, but an important toe in the area stopped the attack and sent the ball out for a Gillingham corner.
As the tie hit the half-an-hour mark, A fantastic move in the final third was almost finished off by Shelton, who connected with Tshimanga’s back-heel in the box, but his shot didn’t have enough power on it and was into the hands of Glenn Morris.
Stead got goal number four and it was the perfect show of his work rate, as he picked up the ball outside the area, worked his way into the box and despite falling to the floor, was still able to control the ball and lift it over Morris to find the back of the net.
Hartigan floated a free-kick to the left-hand post, but Crichlow couldn’t keep it on target, before Collinge connected with another set-piece taken by our number 18, but was unable to guide the ball on target.
Senior came close to getting on the scoresheet, latching onto a delivery from Glover as we entered added time of the first-half, but our number five could only send it into the hands of Morris.
Crichlow added goal number five and got his first in black and amber before the referee blew his whistle for half-time. Another short corner collected by Glover and another assist for our number 15 who delivered a delicious ball for the defender to nod home and round off a five-star first-half performance.
Half-time: Barnet FC 5-1 Gillingham
The visitors enjoyed a period with the ball in the Barnet half early in the second 45, but despite progressing the ball into the final third, the ball eventually rolled into the hands of Slicker.
Glover set himself up to have a go on the edge of the area as we approached the hour mark at The Hive, but there were enough blue shirts in the way and his shot ricocheted off the Gills’ backline.
Stead continued to cause issues for the visiting defence, this time dancing past his man before putting the ball into the box, but Shelton arrived in the area too late and was unable to capitalise on the opportunity.
Dean Brennan made a quadruple change on 67 minutes. Diallang jaiyesimi, Kane Smith, Ben Winterburn and Phillip Chinedu all entered the action, with Tshimanga, Collinge, Hartigan and Kanu all making way.
Chinedu charged forward with the ball and wanted to make an impact off the bench. Our number 22 took aim, but the ball deflected out for a corner.
Stead added goal number six of the afternoon with 20 minutes still left to play. A delightful ball from a Kane Smith corner landed in the six-yard box and it was that man again who got the final touch to send it past Morris.
After getting off the mark for the club in the first-half, Crichlow was urged to shoot by Barnet supporters when he had the ball on the edge of the area. Our number 24 listened and sent a shot towards goal, forcing Morris to punch it away from danger.
Star of the show Stead was replaced by Oli Hawkins with less than ten minutes to go in our final change of the game.
Shelton had the ball in the back of the net in added time after Hakwins’ header was parried into his path, but the linesman’s flag was frustratingly raised for offside.
Gillingham scored a second on the stroke of full-time through substitute Josh Andrews, but that didn’t matter as the six goals scored by the hosts before that were enough to secure a comfortable final win of the season on home soil.
Full-time: Barnet FC 6-2 Gillingham
Line-up: Slicker, Collinge (Smith, 67’), Senior, Stead (Hawkins, 83’), Kanu (Chinedu, 67’), Glover, Hartigan (Winterburn, 67’), Shelton, Tshimanga (Jaiyesimi, 67’), Crichlow, Tavares
Goals: Stead (6’, 15’, 16’, 30’, 70’), Crichlow (45+4’)
Attendance: 3,704 with 1078 visitors