Barnet matched the elements and saw off the challenge of Accrington Stanley to return south with three points here at the Crown. The game, it is fair to say never reached any great heights but the playing conditions were such that it would require the Brazilian team of 1970 to be able to get the ball down and play cultured football, and even then they would need to be at their sparkling best.
Both sides had to contest with a swirling wind and an uneven, dried out playing surface. However these are the conditions and these are the opponents that if a side wishes to make an impact on the league you really need to come away with something.
Ashley Carew was given an opportunity at right back, Kenny Gillet returned at left back whilst Josh Wright came back into the side in midfield replacing Max Porter, out with food poisoning. Upfront Cliff Akurang was paired with Adam Birchall.
Carew was not overly tested, but in his first performance in this position he did well enough to suggest that this is an experiment worth continuing with. Gillet put in a very solid display, determined and highly competent in everything he did.
The Bees kicked with the considerable wind in the first half, and despite having the balance of play were unable to carve out a lead. Lee Harrison later said that he felt that Stanley had thought that they, having weathered this first half storm, had the game sown up with the conditions now so much in their favour.
The Bees dominated much of the first period with Jason Puncheon coming the closest to breaking the deadlock with a trademark free kick from distance that struck a post.
Stanley did start the second half with a flurry of activity, but this soon petered out as the Bees reassumed control of proceedings and if the home side did manage to create anything offensively Lee Harrison was in commanding form and his handling and composure were first rate.
Nine minutes into the second half Barnet took a deserved lead. Birchall had his shot blocked, but from the rebound he astutely picked out the unmarked Neal Bishop for the midfielder to head home his second goal of the season.
Stanley might consider themselves unlucky not to have drawn level when a Shaun Whalley shot hit the cross bar with Harrison beaten; although it must be said that this effort had taken a big deflection.
Midway through the half Bishop was the victim of a two footed lunge that referee Kevin Wright said he was unaware of. Bishop was stretchered off and taken to a local hospital for an x ray. Whilst the exact nature of the injury is at present unknown it looks likely to have ended his season.
A audacious piece of skill from Albert Adomah which took the flying winger into a goal scoring position could have seen the Bees go two goals to the good, but he fired just over.
Nine minutes from time the second goal arrived. A Puncheon corner was cleared but Akurang returned the ball into the danger area where Michael Leary was looming large to head the ball unchallenged into the net.
The next test for the Bees will be posed by Stockport County next Saturday at Underhill. Do not expect any end of season lethargy since the Hatters will be going all out to clinch an automatic promotion spot.
David Bloomfield
