It was almost worth the wait!
Barnet fans have been waiting since early October last year to witness a home victory and at a sunny Underhill today they saw their team destroy highly-placed Bradford City by four goals to one.
Although this was also Ian Hendon's first victory since he took up the reins some eight games ago, his side had been increasingly showing signs of being able to turn draws into victories. In his programme notes he had spoken about the need to eliminate costly mistakes and with one exception, that how the game panned out.
In an otherwise unchanged side Nicky Deverdics came in to replace the suspended Mark Hughes with Kenny Gillet, available after serving his suspension, being given a place on the bench.
As early as the third minute Yannick Bolasie signalled his intentions with a burst of speed and a shot on target which keeper Rhys Evans did well to push aside for a corner.
Bradford nearly opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Peter Thorne shot over from close range from a Steve Jones cross but Bradford were never again to come as close as this to taking the lead as the Bees increasingly took charge of proceedings.
Barnet's midfield and strikers are instinctively attacking players but Ian Hendon has got them working as a unit, able to defend when need be and attack with pace and precision when the opportunity arises.
Barnet took the lead in the 24th minute when Gary Breen on the edge of the opponent's penalty area delivered a well weighted pass into the path of Adomah who assurededly struck the ball into the back of the net.
With four minutes of the first half remaining Bolasie won a free kick which Matt Lockwood took. John O'Flynn got on the end of the delivery with a glancing header that found the corner of the net to put the Bees two up.
Barnet have found themselves ahead by two goals before this season and at half time every Bees fan must have been asking themselves if this time a two goal margin would be sufficient to ensure a victory.
The question seemed even more pertinent when Michael Boulding bundled the ball over the line with just eleven minutes gone in the second half.
However two minutes later however Bolasie was on hand to ensure that Paul Furlong's goalbound shot crossed the line following fine wing play by Adomah on the right.
Four minutes later Barnet established a three goal margin when Joe Devera scored his first ever goal in over one hundred matches for the Bees. He weaved his way through the Bradford defence and finished confidently despite his unfamiliarity at being so far forward with the goal gaping in front of him.
O'Flynn, Adomah and substitute Adam Birchall all went close to extending Barnet's lead even further and as for Bradford they simply could not make any inroads of their own as Barnet gave their best performance of the season.
It has been a while since Barnet have had a victory to celebrate and it was indeed a unfamiliar experience to see a league table after the match that showed that as a consequence of a victory the Bees had shot up the table by two positions. Unfamiliar maybe, but undoubtedly pleasant.
A thoroughly deserved victory, Stuart McCall admitted as much, but he had no option really, did he?
Barnet play Chesterfield at Saltergate next Saturday.
David Bloomfield.