Two Minutes With... Aldershot Town

Tuesday night saw last season’s other relegated side, Aldershot, visit The Hive. Shots’ fan Rhys (@rhys9emberson) gives his thoughts in the latest instalment of Two Minutes With...

Tuesday 21^st January 2014
Barnet v Aldershot Town
10^th        20^th
Previous game:
Chester  2-1 Barnet
Gateshead 0-0 Aldershot Town

Pre-match

How did you get to the game?

I got to The Hive by train and then the underground

What did you make of The Hive?

It seemed to be a bit of a weird place to place a football ground, although it was quite modernised. However, I enjoyed the away end.

If you went to Underhill, how did The Hive compare?

Underhill was a lot more traditional, with pubs close to the ground. It had more of a football ground feel. Whereas The Hive was a lot more out of the way, with a strange walk en route, in the middle of nowhere. But given such short time Barnet had to build The Hive, it could've been a lot worse.

Match

What did you make of the game?

Some incredible goals, good forward play, and for once a strong away performance.

Who (from either side) impressed you?

Bradley Bubb – one goal and one assist. Since the last time he played for us, his forward movements have sharpened and there's a lot more composure about him; early days however as it's only his second game since re-signing.

Who (from either side) could have done better?

I'm still not sure how our first goal went in, so possibly the Barnet defence.

Post-match

Was the score line a fair reflection on the game?

From what I got to see of the game it was a fair reflection.

Who do you play next and how do you think you’ll do?

Halifax at home and given our free scoring home form I'd like to think we'll win scoring a few goals along the way.

Ratings

Price of match day ticket

6/10

Purchases made at the ground

5/10

View

8/10

Quality of football

8/10

Overall experience

6/10

Total = 31/50

Post Match

Table – Barnet 10^th / Aldershot 19^th

Following game

Barnet v Southport

Aldershot v FC Halifax

Thanks Rhys!

If you’ve been to The Hive this season, give me a shout and you can be your club’s voice. Additionally, if you know you’re heading down for your game, let me know - @Luuuce_x

2013 round-up (part four)

October

Players in

• Kieron Cadogan

The midfielder previously played for Aldershot but was one of a number of players released when the club entered administration. He had been without a club since.

• Dani Lopez

The return of the Spaniard! The striker rejoined on loan from Stevenage for three months. In his last spell, Lopez netted a memorable hat-trick against Morecambe, before being recalled by Boro.

• Carl Fletcher

Bringing more experience to the side, the Bees managed to capture the former Plymouth Argyle player/manager. He had been training at The Hive with the team pre-season.

News

• Despite not making an appearance since signing for the club, Nick Jupp extended his deal.
• Jake Hyde – an MRI scan assessed the damage to the ankle injury he suffered in training. The striker was ruled out for up to six weeks, hoping to be back by the end of the year.
• Curtis Weston – the midfielder was injured in the televised game against Wrexham and out for a number of weeks.

Results

05.10.13 – Welling United 1-1 Barnet (Conference)

08.10.13 – Woking 0-0 Barnet (Conference)

13.10.13 – Barnet 1-1 Wrexham (Conference)

19.10.13 – Hereford United 0-1 Barnet (Conference)

26.10.13 – Barnet 3-0 Concord Rangers (FA Cup)

Played 4 – won 1 – drawn 3 – goals for 3 – goals against 2 – points 6

November

Players in

• George Sykes

The 19-year-old returned from his loan spell at Bishops Stortford.

News

• Dani Lopez – after sustaining a shoulder injury, he took to Twitter saying “possibly I’ll be six weeks without playing my passion”.
• The Chile national side spent four days at The Hive, training ahead of their game against England. They were the only ones though – Germany also trained days later!

Results

02.11.13 – Barnet 1-0 Kidderminster Harriers (Conference)

09.11.13 – Preston North End 6-0 Barnet (FA Cup)

12.11.13 – Barnet 0-0 Welling United (Conference)

16.11.13 – Barnet 2-2 Cambridge United (Conference)

23.11.13 – Grimsby Town 2-1 Barnet (Conference)

26.11.13 – Dartford 0-2 Barnet (Conference)

30.11.13 – Hayes & Yeading 0-1 Barnet (FA Trophy)

Played 5 – won 2 – drawn 2 – lost 1 – goals for 6 – goals against 4 – points 8

December

News

• Luke Gambin returned from injury. The winger broke into the first team last season but a string of injuries meant he continue from where he left off.
• Edgar Davids received a two match ban following his dismissal against Dartford – his second of the campaign. After returning, he saw red against Salisbury and was slapped with a three match ban. He then decided to retire from the game, due to being a ‘victim for referees’.
• Keanu Marsh-Brown signed a new ‘long-term’ deal with the club, despite the rumours of interest from Football League teams. The midfielder also ended the year Bees’ top scorer.
• Dani Lopez returned to action following the two months he had out with a shoulder injury.

Results

07.12.13 – Barnet 1-0 Dartford (Conference)

14.12.13 – Barnet 1-2 Grimsby Town (FA Trophy)

21.12.13 – Hyde 0-1 Barnet (Conference)

26.12.13 – Barnet 1-2 Luton Town (Conference)

28.12.13 – Salisbury City 2-1 Barnet (Conference)

Played 4 – won 2 – lost 2 – goals for 4 – goals against 4 – points 6

Two Minutes With... Alfreton Town

Alfreton were the first team to visit The Hive in 2014, as Barnet were looking to pick up their first points of the year. Reds fan James (@I_amjimcrooks) made the trip to North London and gives his thoughts in the latest instalment.

Saturday 4^th January 2014
Barnet v Alfreton Town
9^th           3^rd

Previous game:
Luton Town 2-1 Barnet
Alfreton Town 1-0 Wrexham

Pre-match

How did you get to the game?

I travelled separately from the rest of the Alfreton support. Coming to the ground on the tube, I got my first sight of The Hive on the approach to Canons Park Station.

What did you make of The Hive?

Initial impressions were of a small but tidy looking ground. 

I know there had been a lot of interest in this fixture amongst Alfreton fans, and a second bus had been filled for the long trip to Harrow. 

I arrived before the rest of the Alfreton faithful and decided to grab a coffee and watch the last 15 minutes of the Blackburn v Man City FA Cup tie. The facilities, whilst impressive, left me with little impression that I was at Barnet. I get the feeling that the club hasn't fully settled in to its new home. 

Match

What did you make of the game?

It was a tight affair, with the better of the chances undoubtedly going to Barnet and for that I would say they deserved their win. Alfreton missed the work rate and aerial ability of Paul Clayton who was missing through illness.

The goal that decided the game was worthy of winning any game.

The away support was vocal throughout, with the home fans finding their voice in the last 20 minutes. 

Praise must go to the ground staff: the pitch looked excellent despite the recent weather. 

Who (from either side) impressed you?

The midfield of Barnet looked good on the ball with plenty of slick passing to try and drag the Alfreton defence out of position. David Stephens was awarded the man of the match and I would say this was fair enough; however, Alfreton did play to his strengths.

Who (from either side) could have done better?

John Akinde is a frustrating player for me, as he looks dangerous on the ball and can at times be un-playable but doesn't have the work rate needed to play as a lone striker. 

Post-match

Was the score line a fair reflection on the game?

There wasn’t much between the sides, but Barnet deserved the points for creating more clear-cut chances. They could have won by a bigger margin in the end too. 

Who do you play next and how do you think you’ll do?

We next play on Tuesday night, away at Lincoln City. This is as close as we get to a local derby with Mansfield Town now in League Two. Sincil Bank has been a happy hunting ground for Alfreton since their promotion into the Conference, so I'm quietly confident of a positive result there. 

Ratings

Price of match day ticket

7/10 – I paid £17 which is expensive, but is not out of line with other prices at this level. Some fans paid £20 to sit down however and this caused some confusion: seated supporters entered through the same turnstile as standing, we were unsure why you would pay extra when no one was checking. 

Purchases made at the ground

9/10 – Nice cup of coffee at a decent price, friendly catering staff. Good choice of beer in the bar, although I wasn't drinking so can't comment on quality. 

View

8/10 – Nice, new terraced stand for away fans. 

Quality of football

7/10 – Quite a scrappy game due to the conditions. Both sides looked good when getting the ball down and passing. Barnet had that bit more quality. 

Overall experience

8/10 – Decent game of football played in poor conditions but on a surprisingly good surface. A fair result with Barnet taking the three points. I believe both sides will be looking at a play-off place at the end of the season. 

Total = 39/50

Post Match

Table – Barnet 6^th / Alfreton 3^rd

Following game

Lincoln City v Alfreton Town (7^th January)
Chester v Barnet (18^th January)

Thanks James!

If you’ve been to The Hive this season, give me a shout and you can be your club’s voice. Additionally, if you know you’re heading down for your game, let me know - @Luuuce_x

2013 round-up (part three)

July

Players out

·         Sam Cowler

The goalkeeper left, having only made two appearances last season, as back up to Graham Stack. The former West Ham youngster took to Twitter to share the news stating it was a “difficult decision to make but at the end of the day as a footballer I want to play games”.

News

First trip to The Hive

·         The official site showed off this gallery of images to show off the progress made at The Hive. While the turnstiles had been installed and the floodlights under construction, work was well underway in the East Stand and a members’ bar was even being built underneath the Main Stand.

·         Davids was happy with the number and quality of the players retained but also stated he would be hoping for a few more additions come the beginning of the 2013/14 season.

·         Two Spaniards in Luisma Villa and Roberto Casabella were on trial with the Bees and Fairclough sang their praises post Hendon. He kept quite tight-lipped about their future in black and amber, but said a decision would be made by the end of the month.

·         The kits for the upcoming campaign were released: the traditional amber and black for the home kit, while the away strip’s purple and white.

Results

09.07.13 – St. Albans City 1-3 Barnet (pre-season)

20.07.13 – Barnet 0-1 Ipswich Town (pre-season)

23.07.13 – Barnet 4-1 Hendon (pre-season)

27.07.13 – Barnet 1-4 MK Dons (pre-season)

30.07.13 – Hitchin Town 0-3 Barnet (pre-season)

Barnet v Ipswich (pre-season)

August

Players in

·         Marciano Mengerink

The Dutch forward had been training with the Bees for over a month before putting pen to paper on a two-year deal, subject to international clearance. Joining from SDV Barneveld, he had previously worked with Schreuder.

·         Luisma Villa

The 23-year-old had previously played in the third tier of Spanish football, but began his career at Racing Santander, where he even played 20 minutes against Barcelona! Having impressed pre-season, he signed alongside...

·         Roberto Casabella

Another Spanish midfielder, Casabella most recently played for Moldovian side Milsami Orhei where he featured in the Europa League. As a youth player, the 26-year-old played for both Real Madrid and Atlético.

·         Nick Jupp

The goalkeeper arrived on a short-term deal from St. Albans City, as back-up to Graham Stack.

Players out

·         Dom Vose

Another Robson signing departs. The former West Ham youth player left by mutual consent with only two appearances in the black and amber to his name. He later joined Colchester United.

·         George Sykes

The young striker departed on loan to Bishops Stortford in order to gain first team experience.

·         Jamal Lowe

No stranger to a loan spell, Lowe joined Hitchin Town on a short-term deal.

News

·         Elliot Johnson and Luke Gambin both signed extensions on their contracts. Both players broke into the first team last season, with Johnson becoming a regular in the Bees’ back four.

·         The trio of international signings received international clearance ahead of the opening game against Chester.

·         Jake Hyde and Keanu Marsh-Brown were called up to the England C team after a number of good performances in the opening handful of games. Hydey had scored five in five, while KMB had already chipped in with two goals.

Results

03.08.13 – Barnet 1-2 AEL Limassol (pre-season)

10.08.13 – Barnet 3-0 Chester (Conference)

13.08.13 – Tamworth 0-0 Barnet (Conference)

17.08.13 – Gateshead 1-2 Barnet (Conference)

24.08.13 – Barnet 1-1 Nuneaton Town (Conference)

26.08.13 – Braintree Town 0-3 Barnet (Conference)

31.08.13 – Barnet 3-2 Hyde (Conference)

Played 6 – won 4 – drawn 2 – goals for 12 – goals against 4 – points 14

September

Players out

·         Freddie Warren

The midfielder left for Canvey Island on a month’s loan

News

·         Jake Hyde – the striker was sidelined for up to three weeks with a hamstring injury, sustained in the game against Lincoln.

Results

07.09.13 – FC Halifax Town 2-1 Barnet (Conference)

14.09.13 – Barnet 1-1 Lincoln City (Conference)

17.09.13 – Aldershot Town 3-3 Barnet (Conference)

21.09.13 – Alfreton Town 3-1 Barnet (Conference)

24.09.13 – Barnet 1-2 Macclesfield Town (Conference)

28.09.13 – Barnet 3-1 Salisbury City (Conference)

Played 6 – won 1 – lost 3 – drawn 2 – goals for 10 – goals against 12 – points 5

2013 round-up (part two)

April

Players out

·         Ross Jenkins (Watford)

After a month with the Bees, Jenkins returned to his parent club. During his spell at Underhill, the defender featured five times, scoring once.

·         Anthony Edgar

The former West Ham youth player (another Robson signing!) left my mutual consent. Having made 11 appearances early on in the season, he hadn’t actually played since November!

·         Steve Kabba

It was with no real surprise that the striker finally left the club. He hadn’t played all season due to a long-term knee injury – although the club said he was returning to fitness. Everyone will always remember his four goals in the 4-1 demolition of Burton Albion in April 2011.

News

·         Barry Fuller saw his two match ban extended by a further two games. He was sent off following an altercation with the referee after the final whistle in the game against Dagenham & Redbridge. He returned to the bench for the final match versus Northampton.

·         The game with Torquay was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Heavy flooding in Devon meant the Plainmoor pitch was unplayable. The game was eventually played the following Tuesday.

·         We said goodbye to Underhill as April saw the final home game of the campaign – against Wycombe. A single goal from Jake Hyde (and fantastic penalty save by Stacky) meant the threat of relegation would go down to the final game – again! You can read my piece from the commemorative programme, here. And these two links are worth checking out: ‘Barnet prepare to say goodbye to Underhill’ & ‘Farewell to Underhill’.

·         Meanwhile construction at The Hive was well underway. The pitch had already been laid, with an automatic irrigation system installed. The main stand was next on the agenda...

·         Three players made the team of the week: Graham Stack, Jake Hyde and Elliot Johnson. Hydey netted three goals in two games (against Torquay and Wycombe), while Stacky made that save and Johnson proved his worth as a first team regular.

Results

01.04.13 – AFC Wimbledon 0-1 Barnet (League Two)

06.04.13 – Barnet 0-2 Chesterfield (League Two)

16.04.13 – Torquay United 3-2 Barnet (League Two)

20.04.13 – Barnet 1-0 Wycombe Wanderers (League Two)

27.04.13 – Northampton Town 2-0 Barnet (League Two)

Played 5 – won 2 – lost 3 – goals for 4 – goals against 7 – points 6

May

Players in

·         The club released its retained list for 2013//14

Retained                    Contracted

Mark Byrne               Jordan Brown
Andy Yiadom            Jack Saville
Jake Hyde                 Jon Nurse
Edgar Davids            Luke Gambin
Curtis Weston           Elliot Johnson
                                  Graham Stack
                                  David Stephens
                                  Ahmed Abdulla
                                  Freddie Warren
                                  Sam Cowler
                                  George Sykes
                                  Iffy Allen
                                  Jamal Lowe
                                  Mauro Vilhete
                                  Harry Crawford

·         Meanwhile negotiations were still being made with Keanu Marsh-Brown and Ricky Holmes

Players out

The players released were:

Barry Fuller (joined AFC Wimbledon)
John Oster (joined Gateshead)
Craig Beattie (joined Dundee)
Michael Kuipers
Liam O’Brien (joined Brentford)
Clovis Kamdjo (joined Salisbury)
Chiro N’Toko (joined FC Eindhoven)
Ismail Kamara

News

·         After trials and a loan spell at Birminham, Olly Lee finally joined the Championship club on a free transfer.

·         It was also revealed this month that Edgar Davids would retain his position as head coach for the 2013/14 season. Speaking to the Official Site, Kleanthous said he was “thrilled” and believed that “Edgar is the right man to take us forward”.

June

Players in

·         Anthony Acheampong (Welling United)

The central defender joined from the Conference South champions. He was named in the 2012/13 team of the year.

News

·         There was good news ahead of the upcoming campaign, with KMB putting pen to paper on a new contract.

·         Jon Nurse was placed on the transfer list, while Jake Hyde submitted a request. Hydey was Bees’ top scorer for 2012/13, netting 14 goals.

·         Dick Schreuder joined the club as head of coaching. The Dutchman was formerly head coach of SDV Barneveld, while his brother Alfred was interim manager of FC Twente after Steve M^cClaren departed.

Two Minutes With... Luton Town

This year’s Boxing Day clash at The Hive saw us take on John Still’s Luton Town side. Hatters fan Dave (@DaveLTFC88) gives his thoughts in this instalment of Two Minutes With.

Thursday 26^th December 2013
Barnet v Luton Town
5^th           2^nd

Previous weekend:
Hyde 0-1 Barnet
Luton Town 4-2 Gateshead

Pre-match

How did you get to the game?

Initially I had planned to take the train to West Hampstead and then go on the Underground to one of the stations surrounding The Hive; however, no trains on Boxing Day meant I went on the supporters coach for the short journey. 

What did you make of The Hive?

I was pretty impressed, I was under the conception it was a glorified training ground. The terrace that Luton fans were situated on was excellent for acoustics and making lots of noise.

Match

What did you make of the game?

Very happy with the game. With Cambridge and Grimsby both winning in early kick offs, the pressure was well and truly on us to respond, and we did that.  The first half performance from us was brilliant with Andre Gray's pace causing the home defence all sorts of problems. The tackle and the debate from it has spoiled what was otherwise a good advert for Non-League Football. Barnet came at us a lot more in the second half, and pulled one back but I think we just about deserved the three points. 

Who (from either side) impressed you?

For Luton, Paul Benson was once again a key performer. We've been yearning for a decent target man ever since we sold Steve Howard to Derby in our Championship Days and his partnership with Andre Gray is arguably the best in the League.  Alex Lawless continued his impressive scoring form making it 5 in 5 from an out-of-position role in left midfield. Jake Hyde was very impressive for Barnet too, won more than his fair share of headers against McNulty and deservedly got a goal in the second half.

Who (from either side) could have done better?

I don't think I could single out an individual who could have performed better, but I don't think it'd be unfair to say Barnet looked a lot more threatening with 10 men than they did with 11 - although I think some of our players were mentally affected by the injury to Smith which played a part.

Post-match

Was the score line a fair reflection on the game?

I think most away fans would say yes, although most Barnet would argue they deserved a point. In my opinion it was a classic away day performance, and whilst they dominated play in the second half, Barnet didn't really force Mark Tyler into that many saves.  At the other end, Luke Guttridge wasted a three-on-one attempt in the second half at 2-0 which would probably have killed the game off. 

Who do you play next and how do you think you’ll do?

We play Kidderminster at home in less than 48 hours time. They've slipped off the pace a bit and we're in good form so hopefully we'll pick up three points to keep up the pressure on Cambridge at the top of the table.  After that it's the return game vs Barnet, again our home form is very good this season, and without wanting to sound arrogant, I'd be a little disappointed if we didn't take at least four points from the two games. 

Ratings

Price of match day ticket

8/10 – I paid £16 for a terrace ticket, which is probably around the stock price for a 'bigger' club at this level. 

Purchases made at the ground

2/10 – I tried to buy a burger pre-match but was told there was no hot food available.  A friend of mine also brought a hot chocolate which was very watery to say the least. Disappointing.

View

9/10 – Couldn't complain about the view, nice little terrace with no pillars in the way allowed for an excellent view 

Quality of football

7/10 – Both sides tried to play the 'right' kind of football and even going into the latter stages, the game never got scrappy. As mentioned earlier, it was a good advert for Non-League Football.

Overall experience

8/10 – Obviously three points is always a good start for an away day.  A very tough obstacle on paper overcome as we look to get back into the Football League. Refreshing to see a side try and play good football as well, although was slightly disappointing not to see Edgar Davids in action.

Total = 34/50

Post Match

Table – Barnet 7^th / Luton 2^nd

Following game

Salisbury City v Barnet
Luton Town v Kidderminster Harriers

Thanks Dave!

If you’ve been to The Hive this season, give me a shout and you can be your club’s voice. Additionally, if you know you’re heading down for your game, let me know - @Luuuce_x