The Barnet FC Youth Team won another thrilling game against a title rival on Saturday, defeating MK Dons 5-4 at The Hive to move six points clear of their Football League Youth Alliance division.
Mathew Stevens was the star of the show once again, coming off to bench to score two goals in the closing stages to help ensure Barnet ended up taking all three points from a topsy-turvy encounter.
It was MK Dons who took the lead from the penalty spot on 20 minutes after Joe Gater had tripped a visiting attacker in the area.
However, the Bees quickly bounced back and equalised on the half-hour mark through Jack Taylor, who picked the ball up on the halfway line before playing a neat-one two with Shane Cojocarel as the striker turned his man before cutting the ball back for Taylor to finish with his left foot.
Barnet would fall behind once again five minutes later but equalised shortly before the interval when Ryan Gondoh tapped into an empty net after the goalkeeper could only parry Jack Taylor’s initial shot following an excellent passing move that also involved Keir Dickson, Nana Kyei and Cojocarel.
Nana Kyei then gave Barnet the lead for the first time in the game ten minutes after the break, as he continued his streak of spectacular goals with a curling right-footed shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.
MK Dons hit back once again however, scoring two goals within a minute midway through the second half to take a 4-3 lead.
Ross Eames and Henry Newman responded by bringing on top scorer Mathew Stevens from the bench, and it proved to have the desired effect as he levelled the scores at 4-4 with just five minutes left on the clock, sliding in to convert an Elliott Harris cross from the right.
The pair would strike again deep into injury time, as Stevens coolly finished another Harris cross from the right at the back post to hand the Bees a dramatic 5-4 victory at the death.
The result extends the Youth Team’s current unbeaten run to nine games – during which time they have won eight and drawn just one – ahead of their FA Youth Cup tie against FC Clacton on Wednesday night.
The game will be taking place at 19:30 on the first team pitch under floodlights at The Hive, with entry at just £2 for adults, £1 for concessions and free for all Barnet FC members.
