Dean Brennan’s Bees are back on home soil this weekend as they take on John Doolan’s Accrington Stanley for a 3pm kick off at The Hive Stadium.
Barnet:
Barnet were forced to settle for a point after a dramatic 3-3 draw away at Chesterfield, extending their run to three consecutive draws and their unbeaten streak.
The Bees took the lead through Tom Knowles, who produced a superb individual effort from the right before curling into the top corner.
Chesterfield responded through Louie Marsh, whose powerful strike from outside the box found the inside of the post.
Barnet regained the advantage just before half-time when Zac Williams headed home from a Tom Knowles delivery outside the box.
The hosts levelled again after the break, with Louie Marsh following up on a saved effort to score his second of the afternoon. Barnet continued to push for a winner and eventually restored their lead late on.
Jack Maskell won a crucial header to release Kabongo Tshimanga, who calmly finished into the bottom corner to put the Bees 3-2 ahead.
However, Chesterfield struck once more in stoppage time. Joel Randall headed into an empty net after Mathew Cox was forced off his line, securing a share of the spoils in a thrilling six-goal encounter.
Barnet Last Five Results:
Chesterfield 3-3 Barnet FC – Sky Bet League Two
Exeter City 1-1 Barnet FC – Sky Bet League Two
Barnet FC 2-2 Cheltenham Town – Sky Bet League Two
Shrewsbury Town 1-3 Barnet FC – Sky Bet League Two
Barnet FC 5-1 Arsenal U21s – EFL Trophy
Accrington Stanley:
Accrington Stanley secured their first win of the season with a 3-2 victory over Crawley Town at the Wham Stadium.
Charlie Caton was the star of the afternoon, scoring twice to take his tally to four goals for the campaign, while Devon Matthews added Stanley’s third.
The Reds made a fast start, with Charlie Caton opening the scoring after just four minutes.
Crawley responded through Danilo Orsi, but Stanley regained the lead shortly after half-time when Caton pounced from close range.
Devon Matthews then made it 3-1 in the 63rd minute, finishing from Josh Woods’ cross.
Crawley pulled a goal back through Pemi Aderoju with 11 minutes remaining and threatened a late comeback, but Stanley held firm to claim their first three points of the season.
Accrington Stanley Last Five Result:
Accrington Stanley 3-2 Crawley Town – Sky Bet League Two
Accrington Stanley 2-2 Grimsby Town – Sky Bet League Two
Walsall 3-2 Accrington Stanley – Sky Bet League Two
Exeter City 2-0 Accrington Stanley – Sky Bet League Two
Accrington Stanley 2-2 Colchester United – Sky Bet League Two
In the dugout:
Reds manager John Doolan will be in the dugout for the visitors this Saturday along with his assistant Ged Brannan.
John Doolan is a vastly experienced coach with strong ties to Accrington Stanley, having returned to the club in 2017 after previously working with the Reds.
He played an important role in Stanley’s promotion to the Football League in 2018, when they were crowned League Two champions.
Doolan also enjoyed a memorable spell with Hibernian, helping the Scottish side win the Scottish Cup in 2016, their first triumph in the competition for 114 years.
After years of coaching experience with the likes of Wigan Athletic, Liverpool and Everton’s academies, Doolan took charge of Accrington in March 2024, initially as interim manager before being handed the permanent position later that month.
One of his most notable moments as Stanley boss came in the 2024-25 season, when he guided the club to League Two survival, securing safety with a victory over Walsall with a game to spare.
One to Watch:
Stanley forward Charlie Caton will be looking to cause issues for the Barnet backline on Saturday.
The forward has made a strong impact with his time at Stanley, including a two-goal performance against Crawley Town that helped secure the club’s first win of the season.
The striker has now found the back of the net four times this season, as he looks to increase his tally.
His pace, physical presence and finishing ability make him an important attacking option for Accrington.
Last Time Out:
Kabongo Tshimanga’s late strike secured all three points for Barnet as they recorded a 1-0 victory over Accrington Stanley at the Wham Stadium last time out.
The Bees dominated much of the contest and created several opportunities, while Cieran Slicker made important saves to keep the scores level at half-time.
Barnet continued to apply pressure after the break, with Nnamdi Ofoborh and Ryan Glover both going close as the Bees searched for a breakthrough.
Their persistence eventually paid off in the 81st minute when Idris Kanu found Kabongo Tshimanga down the right. The striker controlled the ball before lifting a composed finish over the goalkeeper to put Barnet ahead.
Accrington were unable to find a response, and the Bees held on to secure the three points.
Dean Brennan will be looking for his side to carry on their unbeaten streak this weekend and return to winning ways in front of the home crowd.
Ticket details for tomorrow’s game can be found below!
Adult Bee: £28
Golden Bees (65+): £18.50
Teen Bee (13-19): £6
Mini Bee (Under 13): £3.50
Tickets can be purchased here – https://www.venuetoolbox.com/barnetfc/asp/login.asp?selectHomeAway=true&eventID={983F0E3C-B4F8-4B0B-9889-2626AB478D32}
Can’t make the game? Secure your BFCTV Audio and Visual passes NOW and don’t miss any of tomorrow’s action live!
Passes are available here! – https://video.barnetfc.com/
PACK THE HIVE, BRING THE NOISE, BACK THE BEES! 🐝
