Nickname: The Shots

Manager: Danny Searle 

Stadium: EBB Stadium

League Position: 20th

 

Form Guide:

Barnet last 5 = W3 D0 L2

Maidenhead United 1-4 Barnet

Barnet 2-1 AFC Fylde

Barnet 5-2 Ebbsfleet United

Barrow 2-1 Barnet

Barnet 1-2 Stockport County

 

Aldershot Town last 5 = W2 D2 L1

Aldershot Town 2-1 Stockport County

Barrow 1-0 Aldershot Town 

Aldershot Town 2-2 Chesterfield 

Yeovil 2-2 Aldershot Town

Aldershot Town 2-1 Notts County 

 

The Bees 

Darren Currie’s side will head to the EBB Stadium feeling fresh after our Boxing Day fixture with Boreham Wood was beaten by the weather. In the Bees last away fixture they brushed aside Maidenhead United to pick up their first win on the road since October, so they will be hoping to make it back to back victories on the road. 

The Bees are in fine form and are unbeaten in their last four in all competitions, scoring 13 goals in the process, so confidence should be flowing ahead of the encounter with The Shots. Currie’s side sits four points off the play-off places with two games in hand over some of the teams ahead, so all three points will mean they enter 2020 ready to make their attack on those sides. 

 

The Shots 

The Shots have struggled for consistency thus far and find themselves just a point and a place outside of the relegation places. However they are unbeaten in their previois four matches at the EBB, winning three and drawing just the once. Danny Searle’s side also saw their Boxing Day fixture postponed allowing them the same time as the Bees to prepare for this one. 

The Shots will be looking to use the EBB as a fortress in the second half of the season, in order to move themselves away from the Vanarama National League trap door. The Bees will go there with plenty of confidence but like every game, they’ll have to be at their best if they are to finish the decade with all three points. 

 

The Gaffer

This season proves to be Danny Searle’s first as Shots manager after taking up the hot seat in May.

The 41-year-old spent the back end of last season in charge of relegated Braintree Town after a spell as Assistant Manager.

Searle was also a coach within the Academies at Chelsea, Charlton Athletic, Southend United and West Ham United.

 

One to watch: Ethan Chislett 

Chislett is the man in form for the Shots at the moment with two goals in his last three appearances. Both of those goals came from the penalty spot, but he is the top scorer at the club with six goals so far this campaign. The 19-year-old joined from Met Police in the summer and has had an instant impact with the Shots faithful. Chislett enjoyed a successful spell with Met Police and played a crucial part in their historic cup run in the 2018/19 season as they reached the First Round. 

The South-African midfielder will be hoping to add more goals to his game back at the club he played for as part of the Shots academy set up at the age of 15. The Bees will be looking to stop the 19-year-old and deny him from adding to his tally at the EBB this afternoon. 

 

What they said

Darren Currie

“With Aldershot’s game being cancelled, it gives us an equal playing field on Saturday. It gives us that extra day where we can do a tiny bit of work that leads into our game on Saturday.

“We go there in a good place and go there confident at the minute. We look forward to it and we’re in a good place, the key is staying in that place.

“There is no such thing as an easy game, there’s a nice big pitch over at Aldershot. We beat them earlier in the season and that tends to motivate teams, even more, to try and get one back.”

 

 

Danny Searle 

“Getting a result is crucial, but Barnet are a very good side so it is going to be a tough afternoon, they are in really good form.

“We kind of owe them for last time because we were good in the first half away from home but in the second half, we made some really stupid mistakes. We need to make sure the same things don’t happen again.”

 

Coverage

If you aren’t making the trip to the EBB Stadium, then you can listen to full live match commentary of the match with Sam Avery and Will Evans on iBarnet. 

Alternatively, there will be full-text updates over on our Twitter account. Stay tuned across all social media channels for all the post-match reaction from the boss.