The Late Brunt Show

Back to back wins for the Bees

After what seemed a long close season it was finally back to The Hive on Tuesday evening. Having taken in Saturday’s first win of the season at Ebbsfleet Utd back home on a Tuesday evening under lights is not to be sniffed at.

A stern test awaited in the shape of recently relegated Forest Green Rovers, unbeaten in their opening two matches and expected to be one of the front runners this year.

I’m sitting undecided in their camp, while they have the budget to spend their way out of the division they still retain a lot of players who have lost 57 games over two seasons, you don’t shake that losing culture too easily so how those players react to that will depend on their finishing position.

The new standing area not yet open for business, but the new tunnel and changing rooms in full operation, the latter looking the business and more like a proper football club than what lives at the bottom end of the stadium.

Missing the injured Nicke Kabamba, an interesting look to how the Bees were going to work their way around a tall Rovers defence without their talisman.

As expected Barnet dominated the ball, some crisp slick passing on the excellent new surface laid down, but not a flurry of chances. The best probably fell to Myles Kenlock who arrived late in the box but his header missed the target.

There isn’t much to say about the visitors efforts in the first half, very little attempt to pressure the ball nor the players in possession, by half time the most dominated 45 minutes I think I’ve ever seen in terms of ball retention but neither keeper with a shot to save.

The second half followed the exact same pattern, although chances were registered in the column. The visitors were very content as they were the first half to sit in for a draw, very little enthusiasm to get three points unless it arrived by accident.

As it was their task became a little tougher when Sean Long was sent off for a second booking, a pull back on Kenlock when already on a yellow was one of the silliest decisions across the evening.

Barnet sensed blood, the passing went even crisper, tidy, prodding and probing. The domination continued, the visitors sitting back deeper and deeper.

Moving into stoppage time, seven minutes, no goal still and Rovers more content than the Bees. But, character in abundance and a will to keep waiting for that moment.

And boy, did it come! A move started by Zak Brunt with a deft little header, fell at the feet of Harry Chapman, moving it forward to Callum Stead who with a little bit of fortune got it out to Reece Hall-Johnson.

An inch perfect pass into the path of an unchecked run from Brunt into the area saw the diminutive midfielder fire past Jed Ward to give the Bees a very late winner but one that was deserved.

No response from the visitors over the remaining five minutes, Barnet two wins on the bounce and Rovers with a first defeat of the season in front of a good size crowd of 1710 for a Tuesday night still within the holiday season.

I was geared up for tweeting the most dominant 0-0 I’d seen from one side ever, but Zak Brunt changed the face of that tweet. Plenty good on the night, but plenty also to get Dean Brennan agitated on the bench throughout the night.

Some of you will have a lot of what comes next on Twitter/X on Wednesday morning but with more characters here I can expand more.

Over the summer Billy Clifford was the one who stood out, not for his arrival but more for what he’d bring to the table. If you’ve watched either of the last two matches as I have, it’s very clear. Forward thinking, wanting a pass wherever he is on the pitch, under pressure or not.

A trusted signing from Dean, he’s actually going to be as integral as I think many others are that we expected to see. Alongside him Nik Tavares, great cameo on Saturday, an excellent Tuesday night performance. Wanting the ball, in the right places, strong in the tackle, if all are fit on Saturday it’s going to be a tough ask if a striker comes in should Kabamba miss a period or time or a couple of games.

Harry Chapman again with a tidy cameo, the midfield competition is unreal an immense, the options now from the bench compared to 12 months ago shows how down the line we are now.

Stead and Brunt, hardworking. People want more from Brunt, I say look beyond his performance. And by that I mean he’s a game plan follower, it might be not what we see but he’s doing exactly as he’s asked to.

Watch that goal back again, I had to a few times to see 1, the cushioned header down to Chapman and 2, the untracked run to be in the right place at the right time. I didn’t appreciate it at the time but extra analysis shows it well.

The back three solid, two great ball carriers alongside the strength of Ade Oluwo, would just like to see less ball at his feet, it either needs more coaching work to improve that or just don’t do it.

The wide areas. The biggest for me to improve. We got into great areas on both Saturday and Tuesday and the final ball, not to dress it up, was 90% awful.

Granted we didn’t have Kabamba to fling balls into, but more often than not there were at least three good options to pick out with a little bit of quality and that wasn’t just from one side of the pitch, it was both.

But as well let’s not forget we’re only three games into the season, a good start which we hope continues this coming weekend with the visit of Southend Utd.

A final word on the new caterers, the burgers for me much better than we’ve seen for a few years, proper cheese as well on the top. A welcome return for the pies it seems, just need to add some chips to menu and then we’re cooking off the pitch as well as on it……..