Goals from Adam Senior, Idris Kanu and Kabongo Tshimanga helped the Bees to a resounding 3-1 victory on the road against Walsall at the Bescot Stadium this afternoon.
Senior’s late strike in the first-half was doubled by Idris Kanu ten minutes into the second, before the Saddlers got a goal back. Kanu then provided the assist for Tshimanga who made no mistake from close-range to score our third and final goal of the afternoon.
Dean Brennan made two changes to the side that drew at home with Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday night, with Anthony Hartigan captaining the side and Kane Smith slotting in in defence.
Nik Tavares was absent from today’s travelling squad, with newest recruit Jack Howland unable to link up with his new teammates for the trip to the West Midlands due to illness.
The Bees came into today’s game off the back of two stalemates, with the Sadlers having only won one in seven ahead of kick-off in the West Midlands.
With the ground sodden and the Bees getting the game underway, the ball was patiently passed between the backline for the opening exchanges before progressing it up the pitch.
The first opening for the Bees saw Anthony Hartigan deliver the ball into the area. Our captain found Tshimanga at the back post, with our number 20 getting a toe to the ball, but it was gathered by Myles Roberts.
Kanu played the ball into the path of Mark Shelton in another bid to progress the ball into the final third, but Roberts was there to meet it and clear the danger.
The first corner of the afternoon was awarded to the Bees after the first quarter had passed, but Hartigan’s delivery was headed off target by Adam Senior.
Ryan Glover sent an effort goalwards minutes later, but it was comfortable for the Saddlers’ shot-stopper.
As Barnet continued to dominate proceedings, the ball fell to Nnamdi Ofoborh who took aim from outside the area, but Roberts was just about able to get a hold of it.
The biggest chance of the half came just after the 25-minute mark. Senior struck a wonderful effort that curled towards goal, but Roberts was able to get his fingertips to the ball and send it over the bar.
The hosts launched a counter-attack on the half an hour mark following a Bees’ corner, with Daniel Kanu having a go at goal, but the Bees backline track back enough to deny the danger.
Walsall had the ball in the back of the net as half-time loomed, but the offside flag was up to deny Pressley.
The Bees found the opener with less than five minutes to go before half-time. Kane Smith worked the ball well out on the right-hand side before finding a pocket of space to send the ball into the area and Senior was able to get on the end of to guide the ball past Roberts to give us a deserved advantage at the halfway stage.
Half-time: Walsall 0-1 Barnet
The hosts made a quadruple change at half-time, in the hopes that a change in personnel and system would help them get back into the game.
The Bees had the ball in the Walsall half following the restart, with Kanu’s dancing feet progressing the ball around the box. Our number 11 eventually sends a cross in from out on the right and it ends up bouncing off the bar.
Ofoborh attempted an effort that was parried away, but no Bees’ shirt could follow up with the rebound and a red and black shirt eventually sent it out for another Barnet corner.
The hosts started to get a foot hold in the game and substitute Aaron Loupalo-Bi found himself in the centre of the box and sent the ball goalwards, but Ofoborh made a crucial block to deny the Saddlers’ number 11.
We were awarded for our intensity following the restart when Idris Kanu doubled our advantage on 54 minutes. Kabongo Tshimanga couldn’t slot a glorious opportunity home after having the ball put on a plate for him by Glover, but Our number 11 was in the right place at the right time to fire home the rebound and his first goal of the campaign.
The Saddlers got a goal back on 64 minutes through their own Kanu. Cieran Slicker came off his line to try and stop the attack, which allowed the Saddlers’ forward to receive the ball and finish into an empty net and close the gap.
It took just four minutes for our two-goal lead to be restored through Kabongo Tshimanga. The Bees launched a counter-attack with Kanu charging down the left, before putting it on a plate for our number 20 to poke it home for our third of the afternoon.
There was chaos on the goal-line with just over 15 minutes to go. Shelton found himself in a position to send the ball rolling towards goal, but before it could cross the line, Roberts was able to stop it and Tshimanga was unable to poke home the ball from close-range.
The first change of the afternoon saw Diallang Jaiyesmi replace Glover, with a double substitution being made by Dean Brennan minutes later.
Philip Chinedu and Rhys Browne entered the action, with Smith and Shelton’s afternoon ending with ten minutes of normal time to go.
The final change saw goalscorer Tshimanga replaced by Britt Assombalonga as the Bees looked to see the game out in the latter stages.
The final chance for the Bees came in additional time, with Kanu going for goal and Jaiyesimi following up with the rebound, but the linesman’s flag was up for offside and that was the last of the action, the Bees leaving the Bescot Stadium with a well-deserved three points.
The win extends the Bees’ unbeaten run to five games, with Cheltenham Town the visitors to the Hive in an early-kick off a week today in our next league outing.
Full-time: Walsall 1-3 Barnet
Line-up: Slicker, Collinge, Senior, Kanu, Glover (Jaiyesimi, 77’), Hartigan, Shelton (Browne, 80’), Tshimanga (Assombalonga, 83’), Smith (Chinedu, 80’), Ofoborh, Kizzi
Goals: Senior (41’), Kanu (54’), Tshimanga (68’)