Easter Monday’s Vanarama National League fixture saw Barnet beat Oxford City 3-1 with goals from Gatlin O’Donkor and Nicke Kabamba.
Setting up in a 4-4-3 to start the game, Barnet’s first chance came in the 7th minute. Oxford’s backline failed to deal with a wayward goal kick, which gave Callum Stead a shot which was blocked by the away defender.
A breakaway for Nicke Kabamba lead to another Barnet corner a minute later that was headed wide by Gatlin O’Donkor.
Barnet started to gain some momentum and in the 14th minute earned a corner following a clearance of a Jordan Cropper long throw. The suceeding cross from Ben Coker found Anthony Hartigan on the edge of the box, whose half-volley narrowly rose over the bar.
After an uneventful ten minutes, Stead had a shot from a tight-angle on the right hand side that forced a great save from the opposition goalkeeper, giving The Bees some momentum.
Stead had another chance seconds later, after a ball over the top found the England C international, who failed to convert a rebound after his original shot was saved.
Another ten minutes passed without any major chances for either side, until the 37th minute saw Luke Freeman drag a shot on the edge of the box wide, summarising The Bees’ afternoon so far.
As half-time approached, the away side had a chance to go ahead- a transition saw a two-on-two which, fortunately for Josh Keeley, was hit into the side netting.
Just before the referee blew for half-time, O’Donkor finally gave Barnet the lead, scoring a one-on-one after a ball came over the top. Slotting it home to the keeper’s right, this marked the loanee’s fifth goal in Amber and Black since his first game in February.
HT: Barnet FC 1-0 Oxford City
A few minutes into the second half and a cleared corner found Ben Coker outside the box for his second attempt of the match, striking the ball purely but failing to put enough bend on the shot as it flew wide.
A counter-attack then gave Stead a chance to double his side’s lead, skewing a volley from a Jordan Cropper shot.
In the 62nd minute, Kabamba showed his confidence by aiming to convert a bicycle kick from a Ben Coker cross, though it, again for Barnet, sailed over the bar.
Luke Freeeman and Gatlin O’Donkor then made way for Zak Brunt and Jerome Okimo as Dean Brennan moved the side back into the five-at-the-back it’s used to.
Brunt then made an instant impact as he came on, slipping through Ben Coker with a perfectly-weighted pass, but the cross wasn’t converted.
In the 78th minute, Nicke Kabamba made it 2-0, as the number nine buried a half-volley from just outside the six-yard box, giving Barnet the cushion they had been looking for.
With ten minutes to go, Brennan made his third substitute of the day, bringing on Jordan Maguire-Drew for Callum Stead.
Nicke Kabamba then completed his brace with an 87th minute header, flicking the ball in across goal.
Oxford City then found an instant consolation goal with a ball over the top of the backline finding their attacker, whose chipped shot found the back of the net.
The referee then signalled the end of the game, awarding Barnet another three points with four games to go of the regular season.
FT: Barnet FC 3-1 Oxford City
Starting XI: Keeley, Coker, Collinge, Gorman, Kabamba, Stead (Maguire-Drew 82′), Freeman (Okimo 63′), Hartigan, O’Donkor (Brunt 64′), Thompson, Cropper
Unused Substitutes: Walker, Hall-Johnson
Yellow: Freeman, Collinge, Hartigan
Goals: O’Donkor, Kabamba x2
Attendance: 1,922 (45 away)
