Crusaders lose at Barnet

It was a pleasure and a privilege to visit “The Hive”, the fabulous home of Barnet, “The Bees” although the home sides hospitality did not extend to the pitch, where Barnet carried on where they left off last season when they won The Conference (now the National League), and regained a place in the Football League.
Not surprisingly, the home side were in excellent form, although we are in the very early days of pre-season training and there is much hard work to do before the real business starts in mid-August. Before that we have challenging games against Hemel Hempstead and Oxford City at Faraday Road and entertain a Reading X1 at Bulpit Lane on July 21st. as well as a series of away games against a variety of clubs.
Barnet were soon on the attack and earned a penalty in the 14th. minute when the prolific goal-scorer John Akinde wrong-footed Matt Day, who brought him down, for the striker to score from the penalty spot. 5 minutes later it was Akinde on target again, heading home from a teasing cross and midway through the half he slotted home his third goal to give the Bees a commanding lead. We did have some chances, Dean Stow was unlucky when he hit the post, before Stefan Brown reduced the arrears just before the half-hour.
Back came Barnet for Sam Togwell to score from inside his own half, sending in a teasing lob with Paul Strudley off his line and back-pedalling in a vain attempt to save.
Both sides made multiple changes at half-time, but with a 4-1 lead, Barnet were able to relax somewhat and we had more of the game without threatening the home goal. Matthew Stevens scored for the home side with an overhead kick and Sam Akinde broke clear in the last minute to notch Barnet’s 6th. goal, a chastening result, but we shall not often meet opponents of this class every week.