Introduction
• Barnet travel to Bristol Rovers on Friday meaning that for a third consecutive fixture the Bees are on the road.
• Edgar Davids’ side battled hard last weekend but were unable to take any points from the Pirelli Stadium as Jacques Maghoma’s second minute penalty sealed the win for Burton Albion.
• Prior to that the Bees secured a stunning 2-0 win over Rotherham United, who fell to a 3-1 defeat last weekend against Bristol Rovers.
• Since John Ward took charge of the club on 17 December, Rovers have gone on a sensational run of form taking 10 points from a possible 15, losing just once to promotion chasing Gillingham.
• Just one point separates the two sides in League Two, the Bees sit 20th on 29 points with the Pirates in 23rd on 28 points.
• Wimbledon are currently bottom but a win could take them up to 20th with just two points separating the five teams at the foot of the table, Accrington Stanley are also just two points ahead of the chasing pack.
• The Bees’ visit to Bristol Rovers is one of two games taking place in the Football League on Friday night with Sheffield United hosting Coventry City in the other.
Team news
Barnet Football Club
• Jake Hyde could make a return to action with the forward describing his chances as ‘50/50’.
• Edgar Davids is also close to a return after missing the 1-0 defeat to Burton Albion through illness.
• Curtis Weston is also a doubt for the fixture and will face a late fitness test on Friday morning.
Bristol Rovers
• Bristol Rovers extended John-Joe O’Toole’s loan from Colchester United by a further two months after the midfielder impressed during an initial loan spell.
• The Pirates have also signed forward Ryan Brunt on a two-and-a-half-year deal from Stoke City during the January transfer window.
• Mark McChrystal is another January signing who is likely to feature after he joined until the end of the season following his departure from Tranmere Rovers.
• They will however be without defender Garry Kenneth who is facing up to nine months out after rupturing knee ligaments during their 2-0 defeat to Gillingham.
The opposition
• Rovers formed in 1883 as Black Arabs FC, they were also known as Eastville Rovers and Bristol Eastville Rovers before finally changing to Bristol Rovers in 1899.
• They were admitted to the Football League in 1920 and have never dropped out of it since. The closest they came was in 1939 when they were re-elected after finishing bottom of Division Three (South).
• The club’s official nickname is The Pirates due to the maritime history of Bristol but they are often known as The Gas or Gas Men because of the gasworks next to their former home Eastville Stadium.
• In the 2007 Conference National Play-Off Final captain Matthew Gill became the first man to be sent off at the new Wembley Stadium whilst playing for Exeter City.
• The Pirates have played in eight stadiums during their 130 year history, they are the following: Purdown 1883-1884, Three Acres 1884-1891, Schoolmasters Cricket Ground 1891-1892, Durdham Down 1892-1894, Ridgeway 1894-1897, Eastville Stadium 1897-1986, Twerton Park 1986-1996 and the Memorial Stadium 1996-present.
• If you have watched British film Hot Fuzz you will have seen Danny Butterman, played by Nick Frost, wearing a Bristol Rovers shirt.
Last time out
26 January 2013
Npower League Two
Rotherham United 1-3 Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers: Mildenhall, Smith, Parks, Brown, McChrystal, Norburn, Clucas, Brunt (Woodards 81), O’Toole, Richard (Harrison 50), Anyinsah (Clarkson 72).
Subs not used: Gough, Broghammer, McDonald, Hitchcock.
Goals: Brown 43, Harrison 52, Anyinsah 61.
26 January 2013
Npower League Two
Burton Albion 1-0 Barnet
Barnet: Stack, Fuller, Johnson, Stephens, Iro, Byrne, Yiadom (Kamdjo 84), Weston (Crawford 72), Oster, Holmes, Sekajja.
Subs not used: Cowler, Brown, Lee, Gambin, Holwijn.
Goals: n/a
Previous meeting
21 August 2012 – Barnet FC 1-1 Bristol Rovers
• Barnet and Bristol Rovers both took a point from a close encounter at Underhill. Ricky Holmes opened the scoring for the home side on 9 minutes when he turned Adam Virgo and fire into the bottom right corner. Rovers shot out of the blocks at the beginning of the second-half and levelled after 55 minutes when Matt Harrold headed home. Had it not been for Liam O’Brien in the Bees’ goal Rovers could have taken all three points but he was on his toes to deny Eliot Richards and Wayne Brown.
Barnet Football Club: O’Brien, Fuller, Brown, Fortune, Saville, Byrne (Sykes 90), Yiadom (Lee 86), Edgar, Weston, Nurse, Holmes (Hyde 69).
Subs not used: Cowler, Kamdjo, Abdulla, Warren.
Goals: Holmes 9.
Bristol Rovers: Walker, Smith, Parks, Brown, Virgo, Paterson, Gill, Clucas (Brown 51), Clarkson, Harrold, Richard (Broghammer 81).
Subs not used: Gough, Norburn, Clarke, Anyinsah.
Goals: Harrold 55.
Background
• Barnet have faced Bristol Rovers on 13 occasions winning twice to the Gas Men’s seven. Four of the matches have ended in a draw.
• The first meeting between the sides came in the 1983/84 FA Cup, the game ended 0-0 but Rovers eased to a 3-1 win in the replay.
• The Biggest win for either side came on 26 March 1994 when Rovers came away with a 5-2 victory at the Memorial Ground. Justin Channing scored a hat-trick with Marcus Stewart and an Alan Walker own goal completing the rout. Russell Edwards Paul Wilson (pen) notched for Barnet.
• Barnet are yet to concede a goal from open play in 2013. Just two goals have been conceded by the Bees both of which came via the penalty spot.
Last six meetings
21 August 2012 Barnet 1-1 Bristol Rovers
2 January 2012 Barnet 2-0 Bristol Rovers
19 November 2011 Bristol Rovers 0-2 Barnet
26 January 2008 Barnet 0-1 Bristol Rovers
14 April 2007 Barnet 1-1 Bristol Rovers
26 November 2006 Bristol Rovers 2-0 Barnet
Overall record v (all competitions) W 2 D 4 L 7
Referee
• Friday’s referee will be Trevor Kettle.
• Kettle has take charge of 24 games so far this season showing 102 yellow cards and five red.
• Eight of those 107 cards came in Watford’s 6-1 win over Leeds United at Elland Road, seven players were booked and Jason Pearce was shown a straight red card.
• Kettle was the man in the middle for The MET Police’s 1-2 defeat in the FA Cup First Round against Crawley Town.
• Kettle will be assisted by Joe Clark and John Scott, the fourth official will be Daniel Leach.
General Information
• For all the latest ticket and travel information please click here.
• The weather forecast for Friday in Bristol is for light showers with maximum temperatures reaching 8C.
