Barnet Football Club

BARNET FOOTBALL CLUB

ARCHIVED ARTICLE
PLEASE CHECK WITH THE CLUB FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION

Match Preview: Stevenage v Barnet

Stevenage v Barnet

Broadhall Way

Saturday 23rd January 2016

Kick Off: 15:00

Barnet: The Bees’ form has picked up in the last couple of months after a challenging November – they are currently 17th, and sit 11th in the division’s form table. Martin Allen’s men will now be looking to find some consistency after two wins, two draws and two defeats in their last six matches. Barnet secured four points from a possible six in their previous two home games (1-0 vs Bristol Rovers and 0-0 against Carlisle United), and now turn their attention to improving the Bees’ fortunes on the road this season.

Stevenage: Boro have been going through a difficult period since mid-December – the Hertfordshire club haven’t won in six matches and have lost four of the last five. They are still 19th in the league, thanks in part to three back-to-back victories around the tail end of November. The team’s biggest problem seems to have been in defence; Stevenage have conceded the most goals in League Two as things stand, but are one of the highest scoring sides in the bottom half. Saturday’s opponents have the 18th best set of results at home so far this season, and are also 18th in the form table (last eight games).

In The Dugout:  Teddy Sheringham is perhaps the most high profile manager in League Two, having enjoyed a stellar career in the upper echelons of the game. The prolific striker shot to fame at Millwall, where he scored 106 goals in 254 matches and won promotion to the First Division. A season with Nottingham Forest followed, before Sheringham enjoyed five successful years at White Hart Lane with Tottenham Hotspur. The London-born forward is perhaps best remembered for his time at Manchester United, where he won an array of trophies that included the Champions League – he scored the late equaliser against Bayern Munich in the 1999 final. Sheringham won 51 caps for England and went to three major tournaments, before hanging up his boots aged 42. This is the former marksman’s first spell as a manager, having been appointed as Stevenage boss at the beginning of this season.

Dangerman:  Chris Whelpdale is Stevenage’s current top scorer, with nine goals in all competitions. The midfielder began his career in the Ipswich Town academy, before dropping down into non-league football with Maldon Town and Billericay Town. His form at New Lodge prompted Peterborough United to bring the 6ft 1in playmaker to London Road, where he went on to play 143 times between 2007 and 2011. Whelpdale moved on to Gillingham after a successful loan spell at Priestfield, and became a mainstay in the Gills’ midfield – scoring 20 times in 118 games. He joined Stevenage at the beginning of last season, and is currently enjoying his most prolific campaign in front of goal under manager Teddy Sheringham.

Last Meeting: Barnet played near-neighbours Stevenage in September this season. It was the first time that the two sides had met since January 2011, when the Bees were on the wrong end of a 4-2 defeat. Things looked to be heading the same way when Stevenage twice took the lead. Fraser Franks opened the scoring for the visitors, before former Boro defender Bondz N’Gala equalised early in the second half. Tom Hitchcock’s strike handed the advantage back to Stevenage, but Barnet rallied and ended up coming away with all three points. Aaron McLean levelled things up with half an hour still to play before Michael Gash fired home the winner, to send Teddy Sheringham’s side home empty-handed. To read the match report from that game, click here.

Ticket Details: Barnet supporters will be housed in the stadium’s South Stand (seated), where advanced admission prices are: Adults (22-59) – £22.00, Concessions – £19.00, Under 22’s – £14.00, Under 16’s – £10.00, and Under 12’s – £8.00.  Please Note: Prices will increase by £2 on the day of the game. Family tickets are only available in advance, and not on matchday. They are priced at: Family of 3 (1 Adult, 2 Under 16’s) – £35, and Family of 4 (2 Adults, 2 Under 16’s) – £50. To find out more information, click here.

Travel: The supporters’ coach leaves The Hive at 12:15 and costs £19 return. You can also get a shuttle bus to The Hive for just £1 each way. For more details click here.

Follow The Match: If you can’t get to Broadhall Way, you can listen to full commentary of the match on Bees Player HD. We’ll also have live twitter updates throughout the game, and a match report & post-match reaction on barnetfc.com.