Joint Head Coach Edgar Davids started his first match for the Bees and delivered a Captain’s performance in every sense of the word.
He had planned to play for perhaps an hour, but seemed to get stronger and more influential as the game progressed, a remarkable compliment for a 39-year-old who has not played competitive football in England for two years.
Barnet started the match with their usual defence, in midfield the central pairing was John Oster alongside Clovis Kamdjo, out wide was Anthony Edgar, starting his first game since late August and Andy Yiadom, upfront was Jake Hyde with Davids just off the front man, a position that he had started out in his early days as a promising Ajax youngster.
Barnet did not create a great deal in the first-half, their best effort was a dipping free-kick from Oster after 11 minutes that forced Lee Nicholls into a fine save.
The visitors had a golden chance to take the lead when Alex Nicholls was set up when for once the physically imposing pairing of Clive Platt and Adebayo Akinfenwa combined well to create an opportunity.
Nicholls spurned this opening when his shot flashed wide of a post. The Cobblers would not again have such a chance.
Kemar Roofe was putting a number of crosses from the right as the visitors finished the first period by putting the Bees under a degree of pressure and they could consider themselves to have held the upper hand in the first 45 minutes.
This was all to change as the Bees upped their game considerably in the second-half. Davids became even more central, cajoling his team mates and using the ball with great intelligence, guile and craft.
From an inspired delivery by Davids from the left the Bees won a corner. Oster’s well struck flag-kick was met by a towering header from Krystian Pearce and he soon disappeared under a pile of Barnet players eager to share his joy. 56 minutes had elapsed.
Less than ten minutes later, Andy Yiadom gave the Bees the cushion of a two goal lead when he fired home from inside the box following some good interplay at the edge of the box.
The Cobblers at this point were all but down and out and the Bees were visibly growing in confidence, it was like watching time lapse photography when a plant rapidly grows towards the light.
The evening was capped with two delicious goals in time added on. After a series of passes deep in Northampton territory, Oster hit a low powerful drive from the edge of the box that scorched into the net. If Davids was the Man of the Man then Oster was running him close as the midfielder had his best game in a Barnet shirt.
Anthony Edgar who was also enjoying a fine match, recapturing the form that his displays in pre-season had indicated he could deliver, then beat his man out wide and drove the ball high into the net for Barnet’s fourth with almost the last kick of the match.
You couldn’t say the wait was worth it; clearly it would be better if the Bees had accumulated more points by this stage of the season, but everyone who saw this display and victory will not forget it in a hurry.
The Bees at at Wycombe next Tuesday.
