Barnet fell to a cruel last-minute defeat to Wealdstone at Grosvenor Vale, losing 3-2.
Dean Brennan made just the one change to the team that lost to Oldham at The Hive on Wednesday night, with Jordan Cropper coming in for Gary Hooper as The Bees looked to bounce back after a difficult week.
Barnet started brightly when Callum Stead ran onto a lofted pass and attempted to find Nicke Kabamba at the back post, but the Wealdstone defender cleared the ball out for a corner.
After a tight opening 10 minutes, Barnet continued to pile pressure on the Wealdstone defence with several set pieces creating half chances including a strike by Dale Gorman from the edge of the box which got cleared out for a corner.
The deadlock was broken in the 13th minute from the resulting corner when Gorman’s Ball found Jerome Okimo who tapped the ball home from close range to give The Bees a deserved lead.
Moments later, the hosts were level when Jack Cook hit an unstoppable half-volley past Walker which was against the run of play.
In the 28th minute The Bees took the lead again when a brilliant cross found Kabamba who headed home from close range at the near post to put The Bees back in front.
As the half drew on, Barnet defended well as they limited Wealdstone’s ability to enter their box, but the hosts continued to push for an equaliser before heading into the break.
HT: Wealdstone FC 1-2 Barnet FC
No changes to either team at the break and it was the hosts who started the stronger of the two sides, with an early penalty shout from a scramble in the area being waved away.
But the hosts did level the score in the 52nd minute when Cook doubled his tally for the afternoon with another goal from a set piece, continuing the story of the first half. Wealdstone were then on top and fired another effort just wide of Walker’s top right.
The game started to simmer down as both sides looked to take the lead in what was now an end-to-end encounter.
The Bees’ first change of the game came in the 72nd minute when Marvin Armstrong replaced Callum Stead with Barnet hoping to take the lead for the 3rd time in the match.
Barnet came close to their 3rd in the 75th minute when Adebola Oluwo had his header well cleared off the line as the score remained level.
But as the game approached full time, Wealdstone created the final few chances of the encounter after play continued past the original 5 additional minutes. A free kick on the edge of the box hit the bar before Walker was forced into a fine save leading to another corner. The cross came in and Charlie Barker stole all 3 points at the death for the hosts, a result that the Bees’ performance didn’t deserve.
FT Wealdstone FC 3-2 Barnet FC
Starting XI: Walker, Collinge, Okimo, Gorman, Kabamba, Stead (Armstrong 72’), Kanu, Pritchard
(Hall-Johnson 90+2), Hartigan, Oluwo, Cropper.
Unused subs: Hooper, Potter, Brunt
Goals: Okimo 13’ , Kabamba 28’
Yellow: Walker, Gorman
Attendance: 2515
