MATCH PREVIEW | OLDHAM ATHLETIC

The Bees travel back up north again this Saturday as they head to the Boundary Park Stadium to face Oldham Athletic in the Vanarama National League.

Barnet continued their impressive run with a dominant 4-0 away victory over Rochdale in the Vanarama National League last Saturday.

The game started with Rochdale having some early possession but failing to convert from any chances towards the Barnet net.

Within the opening five minutes of the game Barnet took the lead, when Callum Stead retrieved the ball on a counterattack, tapping it in past the Rochdale goalkeeper.

Rochdale had a chance shortly after, but Barnet’s goalkeeper Toby Savin made a crucial save, diving to his right to keep the Bees ahead.

Barnet doubled their lead just before halftime, with Rhys Browne scoring a stunning goal into the top corner, after a scramble for the ball in the box.

In the second half, Dom Telford came on as a substitute and immediately made an impact, heading in the ball over the goalkeeper from a free kick to make it 3-0.

Barnet continued to dominate, leaving the hosts struggling to catch even a slight constellation in the game.

Ryan Glover sealed the victory for the Bees, intercepting the ball outside the Rochdale box facing the keeper one on one.

Chipping it over the keeper, the ball was also aided by a slight deflection from a Rochdale defender, making it 4-0 to Barnet.

The win pushed Barnet nine points clear at the top of the league, showcasing their quality and determination throughout the match.

Barnet’s last five results:

Rochdale 0-4 Barnet FC

Barnet FC 3-1 York City

Barnet FC 3-1 Solihull Moors

Boston United 0-0 Barnet

Tamworth 0-1 Barnet FC

From the dugout:

Connor Smith spoke on the upcoming fixture saying:

Great win last week away to Rochdale, tough place to go to so really pleased to come away with the win and the three points.

Travelling to Manchester in back-to-back weeks is never easy so to go into the first fixture and come away with a 4-0 win is a great way to start it off.

We’re always taking one game at a time, you can’t look too far in front, you just got to focus on each game that comes in front of you.

Another tough game coming this Saturday away to Oldham Athletic, they have an excellent side, with great players and a really experienced manager.

This is one of the fixtures we always consider to be one of our big games in the league, it’s a ground with a lot of history and a passionate fanbase.

The lads have been prepping really well, the aim is always the same to go into the game and come away with the three points.

Oldham Athletic:

Oldham earned a 2-2 draw against Dagenham & Redbridge in a hard-fought match at Victoria Road last Saturday.

The hosts took the lead just before halftime, with Aaron Loupalo-Bi launching a shot past Oldham goalkeeper Tom Donaghy, with the visitors now trailing behind by a goal to nil.

After the break, Oldham responded quickly as Mike Fondop converted Joe Pritchard’s low cross, bringing the game back level to 1-1.

The match then saw an intense back and forth as both teams pressed for more goals.

Dagenham regained the lead in the 67th minute when Ryan Hill converted a penalty after Charlie Raglan fouled Tom Eastman in the box.

Oldham continued to push forward and came close several times.

Jake Caprice forced Dagenham keeper Louis Jones into a stretch save with a powerful long-range shot.

Late in the match, Pritchard played a crucial role again as in the dying moments, Josh Lundstram won the ball, playing it to Pritchard, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner, securing a valuable point for Oldham.

After several chances from Dagenham to regain the lead throughout the match, Oldham’s defensive resilience and late attacking push ultimately earned them the draw.

Oldham’s last five results:

Dagenham & Redbridge 2-2 Oldham Athletic

Oldham Athletic 0-1 Maidenhead United

Oldham Athletic 0-0 Sutton United

Oldham Athletic 2-2 Altrincham

Solihill Moors 0-1 Oldham Athletic

In the opposition dugout:

Micky Mellon is the manager of Oldham Athletic with Gary Brabin as his assistant.

Micky Mellon became Oldham Athletics’ manager in 2023, bringing extensive experience from previous roles at Tranmere Rovers and Shrewsbury Town.

He was tasked with stabilizing the team after relegation from League Two.

Despite facing challenges like injuries and squad changes, his leadership has been key in helping Oldham rebuild, along with the aim of returning the club to the football league.

Ones to watch:

Oldham centre forward Mike Fondop is the clubs leading goal scorer so far in the league this season, with 15 goals and 6 assists in 32 appearances.

He has averaged of a goal every 153 minutes in the National League this season.

Last time these two sides met:

The points were shared last time these two sides met, as the game finished in a 0-0 draw at The Hive Stadium back in November.

Barnet had the first opportunity in the 4th minute when Nicke Kabamba’s header from a Ben Coker cross went just wide.

Oldham’s Regan Ogle connected with the ball from a corner in the 12th minute, but his header went wide of the post.

Barnet’s best chance came in the 21st minute, but Mathew Hudson made a key save to deny Bailey Hobson.

Barnet continued to create chances, in the 34th minute Idris Kanu saw a chance and fired the ball towards goal, but his shot went over bar.

The second half began with a missed opportunity from Ryan Glover, who shot the ball over the bar after a counterattack.

Barnet had a goal ruled out for offside in the 72nd minute, and Anthony Hartigan hit the crossbar in the 82nd minute.

Rhys Browne had a shot just moments later, but his shot was also forced into another great save from Hudson.

In the final moments, Barnet had a corner in the 90th minute, but the ball was cleared off the line by an Oldham defender.

Despite the pressure from both sides, the match finished in a goalless draw.

Dean Brennan will be wanting the same from his side this weekend, dominating the field, creating chances, collecting another three points up north and adding it to the table.