MATCH REPORT | SHREWSBURY TOWN 1-3 BARNET FC

New Signings Make the Difference as Barnet Secure Shrewsbury Town Win!

From the start both teams were battling hard for possession, as the ball found its way up both ends of the pitch in quick succession, but it was Shrewsbury who had the edge as they tested Matthew Cox early on.

Within the first five minutes Barnet won a free kick outside of the box after Kabongo Tshimanga were brought down early on.

Bees debutant Jake Reeves stepped up to the challenge of taking the free kick, he aimed for goal but his attempted was deflected off the wall and resulted in a corner kick.

Dean Brennan’s started to add more pressure to the hosts as Tshimanga got in the way of a Will Brook clearance which saw the ball fall to Idris Kanu, who passed it to Nnamdi Ofoborh to cross it back into the box but it was haulted by the Shrewsbury defence.

The deadlock was broken on the 12th minute when new Bees Reeves received the ball outside the box following a Charlie Lakin shot on goal that was rebounded to the experienced midfielder.

Without a second thought he railed up the shot and fired the ball into the bottom left corner of the net, out of the reach of Brook, giving the Bees a deserved lead in the game.

Shortly after the hosts retaliated by driving the ball up the field towards the Bees box, Nik Tavares did well to block the initial attempt but the hosts still found space to go for goal, but it sailed over the bar.

Barnet continued to pose an attacking threat, but the host were also not making it easy for the Bees, as they looked to pull themselves back into the game before the break.

And just minutes before the break the hosts did just that.

A cross delivered into the box was caught by Bees keeper Cox, however the ball slipped out of his grasp and Shrewsbury were able to put away the finish, bringing themselves level in the game.

Half-Time: Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Barnet FC

At the start of the second half, Shrewsbury doubled down their pressure, looking to cause an upset for the Bees.

They created dangerous attacking runs down the flanks, keeping Bees skipper Danny Collinge, Nik Tavares and Adam Senior on their toes, with Tavares performing a great sliding challenge to win the ball back for them to drive forward.

Nearly ten minutes into the half the hosts were calling for a second goal, as the ball was crossed in from their left and headed towards goal, which bounced off the line and was cleared away for a Shrewsbury throw in.

On the hour mark Dean Brennan made some changes to switch the flow of the game, introducing Myles Kenlock, Tom Knowles and Jack Maskell.

Not long after Shrewsbury headed the ball into the back of the net, however during the build up the ball rolled out of play, which the final verdict leading to a goal kick to the Bees.

As the game carried, around the 75th minute mark Lakin lined himself up for a shot from outside box.

Striking the ball with power, his chance was blocked by Shrewsbury’s Sam Stubbs, who took the full impact of the shot to the head, which lead to him receiving treatment on the pitch.

Thankfully, Stubbs later stood up and was able to walk off the pitch, as he was substituted for potential concussion.

With the game entering the final ten minutes of regular, the impact from the subs helped the Bees add on the pressure and take control of the game as they soon went back in front.

Lakin received the ball into the box and without hesitation, launched the ball into the back of the net, firing the Bees back in front with only minutes left to play.

It didn’t stop there for the Bees as Maskell was able to head the ball across goal on the 90th minute and find Knowles, who took a quick touch a curled a perfectly placed shot into the top right corner of the net, claiming the Bees third of the game, his forth of the week and securing a win for Dean Brennan’s side.

After playing through some extra time the referee blew the full-time whistle, with Bees topping off another brilliant victory with their second league win on the bounce.

Full-Time: Shrewsbury Town 1-3 Barnet FC

Dean Brennan’s side is back in action at The Hive Stadium next weekend as they host Cheltenham Town for their next upcoming fixture in the EFL League Two.

Lineup: Cox, Collinge, Tavares (Wright 92′), Williams (Kenlock 60′), Senior, Reeves (Maskell 60′), Gallagher, Kanu (Knowles 60′), Lakin, Ofoborh (Comley 91′), Tshimanga (Siaw 95′)

*Both Shrewsbury Town and Barnet FC received a concussion substitution which allowed six total subs to be made.

Goals: Reeves (12′), Lakin (83′), Knowles (89′)