MATCH REPORT | BARNET FC 3-1 BRAINTREE TOWN | NATIONAL LEAGUE

The Bees made it five wins from five on home turf with a 3-1 victory over Essex side Braintree Town at The Hive.

Braintree Town opened the scoring in the first minute when the ball was played to former Bees man John Akinde who raced through on goal before slotting the ball into the bottom corner.

Barnet didn’t let the opening goal phase them as an instant response occurred when a cross from the right-hand side met Mark Shelton on the edge of the six-yard box who steered the ball home to bring the game level.

A dormant ten-minute period ended when the Bees turned the game on its head. Another cross from the right-hand side was met by Callum Stead who planted his header past Lucas Covolan in the Braintree net.

With 25 minutes played the visitors looked the striker back and came close when Inih Effiong found himself baring down on goal, Adebola Oluwo slide across to put in a great block to deny the Braintree forward.

Zak Brunt came close to a third for Barnet when his clever footwork gave the number 17 room to shoot from inside the box, Covolan pulled off a great save to deny him.

Half Time 2-1

The visitors made a fast-paced start to the second half and looked to sting the Bees early on again when substitute Matt Robinson took a shot on at goal, his effort flying over the bar.

Harry Chapman was looking to add a killer goal on the 55^th minute but his shot from just inside the box was blocked wide.

Effiong was looking to cause problems again for the visitors when he found space to shoot in the box, he was denied by Nick Hayes.

Shelton came close to getting his second of the afternoon and Barnet’s third but his shot from inside the box was parried out for a corner.

With 15 minutes to go Shelton again was causing problems for Braintree and forced Covolan into a good save to deny the midfielder with a venomous effort from outside the box.

The Bees found the stinger third goal when Zak Brunt fed the ball into the box from the left-hand side, Braintree captain George Langston couldn’t adjust his feet in time as he saw the ball come off his leg and into the net.

Rhys Browne thought he had made it four in the dying minutes but his shot from the end of a cross was denied on the line.

Full Time 3-1

Lineup: Hayes, Coker (Cropper 70’), Stead (Hobson 75’), Chapman (Browne 62’), Glover, Brunt, Hartigan, Shelton, Oluwo, Grimwood (Kizzi 51’), Kenlock.

Goals: Shelton (4’), Stead (16’), Langston (OG 84’).