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Match Preview: Morecambe v Barnet

Morecambe v Barnet

The Globe Arena

Saturday 2nd April 2016

Kick Off: 15:00

Barnet: The Bees enjoyed a good Easter period; drawing away at Exeter City (1-1) before beating Luton Town (2-1) on Monday. Martin Allen’s side have now only lost once in their last five matches, and have secured at least a point in 11 of their previous 14 fixtures. They are currently 12th in the form chart, and could climb up to 13th in League Two with a win on Saturday.

You can watch Martin Allen’s pre-match interview here.

Morecambe: The Seasiders have consistently punched above their weight since winning promotion to League Two in 2007. Morecambe traditionally attract some of the fourth tier’s smallest crowds, but have been largely untroubled by relegation worries during their eight year stay in the Football League. Former Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy guided the club to an impressive 4th place finish in 2009-10, but the Shrimpers lost to Dagenham & Redbridge in the play-off semi-finals. Since then they have moved to the modern Globe Arena and have consistently finished in mid-table after leaving Christie Park in 2010.

Morecambe began this season strongly, but have endured a tough time in recent weeks. They are currently 20th, having lost seven of their last nine matches. They have only won once in that time – a 2-1 home victory against AFC Wimbledon. As a result the Shrimpers are 22nd in the form chart, and have the fifth worst home record in the division.

In The Dugout:  Jim Bentley is one of England’s longest serving managers – the Liverpool-born coach first took charge of the Shrimpers in May 2011.  The former central defender is something of a club legend, having played over 300 games for Morecambe between 2002 and 2011. Bentley won the Conference play-offs with the Seasiders in 2007, before becoming player-coach three years later. He was appointed manager after Sammy McIlroy left the club, and has made solid progress with the Lancashire side. Morecambe finished 15th, 16th and 18th in Bentley’s first three campaigns, before securing an 11th place top half finish last season.

Dangerman: Young forward  Thomas Barkhuizen is enjoying his debut season for the Seasiders. The 22-year-old has struck eight times so far this campaign, having arrived at the Globe Arena last May. Barkhuizen graduated from Blackpool’s youth academy in 2010, and went on to play 27 games for the Tangerines. He also enjoyed a successful loan spell at Hereford United – scoring 12 goals in the 2011-12 season. A brief loan period at Morecambe followed, prompting Jim Bentley to bring the forward in on a permanent basis last summer.

Last Meeting: Barnet and Morecambe played out a 0-0 draw on a freezing cold November day at The Hive. Second half efforts from John Akinde and Josh Clarke were the highlights of a game that was lacking in clear-cut chances. To read a report from the match, click here.

Ticket Details: Barnet supporters will be housed in the stadium’s Main PMG Stand (seated), where on-the-day admission prices are: Adults – £21, Concessions – £17 (over 65 and students with a valid ID), Juniors – £6, Under 14’s – up to three U14s are FREE with a paying adult or concession. Click here for more information.

Travel: The supporters’ coach leaves The Hive at 7:15am and costs £29 return. You can also get a shuttle bus to The Hive for just £1 each way. For more details click here.

Follow The Match: If you can’t get to the Globe Arena, you can listen to full commentary of the match on Bees Player HD. We’ll also have live twitter updates throughout the game, and a match report & post-match reaction on barnetfc.com.