MATCH PREVIEW | EASTLEIGH

Get the Hive Stadium rocking this Good Friday (5:30pm) as Barnet take on Eastleigh in a late afternoon clash in the Vanarama National League.

Barnet FC:

Barnet were held to a draw at The Hive Stadium on Saturday, after a late Wealdstone goal denied them a derby day victory in the Vanarama National League.

The Bees made a strong start, dominating possession and creating early chances.

Wealdstone goalkeeper Dante Baptiste was kept busy, making several key saves to keep his side in it.

The breakthrough finally came on 33^rd minute when Anthony Hartigan whipped in a superb free kick from the left, met by Adebola Oluwo, who rose highest to head home via the underside of the crossbar.

Barnet looked comfortable heading into the break but suffered a setback when Myles Kenlock was forced off with an injury, replaced by Jerome Okimo.

In the second half, Barnet continued to press for a second goal, but Wealdstone began to pose more of a threat on the counter.

Owen Evans was called into action, producing a remarkable double save to deny Kallum Cesay and Max Kretzschmar in quick succession.

Despite Barnet’s defensive resilience, the visitors found an equaliser in the 80th minute when a loose clearance fell to Harrison Sohna, who rifled the ball into the net from close range.

The Bees pushed hard for a winner, with Rhys Browne coming agonisingly close to grabbing the winner, but his shot clipped the outside of the post.

The game finished with the score level at 1-1, with both teams taking a point from the game.

Barnet’s last five results:

Barnet FC 1-1 Wealdstone

Braintree Town 2-1 Barnet FC

Barnet FC 3-1 Gateshead

Altrincham 0-1 Barnet FC

Woking 0-1 Barnet FC

From the dugout:

Connor Smith’s pre-match interview can be viewed HERE!

Eastleigh:

Eastleigh suffered a 4-0 defeat away at Rochdale on Saturday in the Vanarama National League.

The home side took control early, with Devante Rodney opening the scoring in the 11th minute after a set-up from Toby Adebayo-Rowling.

Seven minutes later, a deflected goal off Luis Fernandez doubled Rochdale’s lead.

Eastleigh’s Ludwig Francillette had a chance to pull one back just before halftime, but his header lacked enough power.

In the second half, Rochdale extended their advantage as Ian Henderson scored a lofted finish in the 63rd minute, and Rodney netted again to make it 4-0.

The Spitfires had some moments of their own, including a shot from Tyrese Shade that was saved by Rochdale goalkeeper Killian Barrett, but they never threatened to mount a comeback.

Eastleigh made one substitution at the break, with Lloyd Humphries replacing Corey Panter, and brought on Paul McCallum, who tested Barrett with a low shot in the 58th minute.

Despite a few chances, Eastleigh could not find a way past Rochdale’s defence.

Eastleigh’s last five results:

Rochdale 4-0 Eastleigh

Eastleigh 1-1 Halifax Town

Tamworth 2-0 Eastleigh

Eastleigh 1-2 Southend United

Wealdstone 3-3 Eastleigh

In the opposition dugout:

Eastleigh manager Kelvin Davis will be in the dugout for The Spitfires this Friday with his assistant Danny Butterfield alongside him.

The former Southampton goalkeeper became Eastleigh FC’s first-team manager in February 2024, following Richard Hill’s departure.

In his initial 13 games, Davis secured 20 points, including five clean sheets and four consecutive away wins, leading the team to a mid-table finish in the National League last season.

Ones to watch:

Eastleigh winger Tyrese Shade is the clubs current top goal score so far this season, scoring 12 goals and assisting 7 in the league.

He has made 39 league appearances for The Spitfires and is currently averaging a goal every 265 minutes this season.

Last time these two sides met:

Barnet played out a 1-1 draw against Eastleigh back on New Years Day in the Vanarama National League.

Eastleigh took the lead in the 18th minute after a counterattack, with Tyreese Shade finishing off a precise cross from Richard Brindley.

Barnet responded with a few opportunities, including a shot from Ben Coker that narrowly missed the post and a blocked effort from Danny Collinge inside the box.

In the second half, Barnet pushed for an equalizer.

Callum Stead got the goal in the 72nd minute, flicking on a cross from Ryan Glover to level the score.

Eastleigh threatened a late winner, with Paul McCallum breaking through on goal, but Adebola Oluwo made a crucial tackle to deny him.

Rhys Browne also went close in added time but saw his shot roll wide of the post.

The Bees will be wanting to take all three points on Good Friday, regaining their winning form and maintaining their position at the top of the table.