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Match Preview: Barnet v Oxford United

Barnet v Oxford United

Sky Bet League Two

The Hive

Saturday 18th March 2016

Kick Off: 15:00

Barnet: The Bees have now recorded a positive result in nine of their past 11 matches, and Martin Allen’s men will be hoping to continue their good home form when they take on Oxford United this Saturday. Barnet are currently the 4th best side at home in League Two, and are 5th in the form chart (based on the last eight matches). The Bees will be buoyed by the return of Bondz N’Gala and Curtis Weston, while Michael Gash and Shaun Batt will be closer to match fitness following their recovery from injury.

You can watch Martin Allen’s pre-match interview here.

Oxford United: Oxford are flying high in League Two – they are in 2nd place, and are six points clear of 4th place Bristol Rovers. The U’s have won four of their last six league matches, and are also in the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. They beat Dagenham & Redbridge 4-0 on Tuesday night, following a 1-0 defeat to Leyton Orient last Saturday. United are 8th in the form chart (last eight matches) and have the second best away record in the division.

In The Dugout:  Michael Appleton’s managerial career is enjoying something of a revival at Oxford this season. The 39-year-old’s first spell in the dugout came when he took over as Portsmouth boss in 2009. Pompey were struggling financially, and the club were relegated to League One while Appleton was in charge. He then enjoyed a brief 11 game stint at Blackpool, before moving on to Blackburn Rovers in 2013. His time at Ewood Park was almost as brief; the former Preston midfielder spent 67 days managing Rovers, but was relieved of his duties after winning only 4 of his 15 games in the hot seat. Appleton then took over from current Bees assistant head coach Gary Waddock at Oxford. The U’s finished 13th last season, and are currently performing well in the league this year.

Dangerman:  It’s hard to ignore the form of attacking midfielder  Kemar Roofe – the 22-year-old has found the net on 21 occasions this season. Roofe began his career at West Bromwich Albion but never broke into the first team; he had brief loan spells at Vikingur Reykjavik, Northampton Town, Cheltenham and Colchester. However it was a loan at Oxford where the Walsall-born midfielder really found his feet; 6 goals in 16 games last year prompted the U’s to make Roofe’s stay permanent ahead of this season. 

Last Meeting: Barnet won a thrilling encounter at the Kassam Stadium earlier this season – beating Oxford United 3-2. The U’s took the lead through Liam Sercombe on 14 minutes, but the Bees hit back with three goals in a manic five minute spell. Curtis Weston struck first, before John Akinde gave Barnet the advantage. On-loan winger Josh Clarke extended the Bees lead, before Sercombe added his second just before half-time. Despite numerous chances, the second half remained goalless and Barnet secured their first away win of the campaign. You can read the report from that match here.

Ticket Details: You can book tickets in advance of the game online here. Tickets can be bought on the day of the match, but only at the Ticket Office. It is recommended to arrive early to avoid queues.

Travel: You can get to and from The Hive by taking our Shuttle Bus service. To find out more and to check the bus timetable, click here.

Please note that the bus will now no longer be stopping at the Selvage Lane bus stop in Edgware, due to traffic restrictions. For more information, click here.


The club are now offering a 50% discount for supporters travelling on the first bus to / last bus from The Hive. Find out more here.

Food & Drink: Grazioli’s Bar (under the West Stand) will be open from 12:30, and will be serving our range of top quality burgers. Everton vs Arsenal is the televised early kick-off on Saturday, so why not head down to the ground early and enjoy a pre-match beer before the game?

Prize Draw: Tickets for the Amber Triple Chance Draw are available for just £1. You could win a guaranteed first prize of £200, a £300 Jako voucher in our monthly draw, and be entered in an end-of-season draw for a year’s free Bees Membership! You can get tickets from our sellers around the ground.

Follow The Match: If you can’t get to The Hive, you can listen to full commentary of the match on Bees Player HD. We’ll also have live twitter updates throughout the game, and a match report & post-match reaction on barnetfc.com.

Please Note: There will be a minute’s applause in the 19th minute of Saturday’s match, to honour Chris East – a young Barnet FC supporter who sadly passed away on Saturday 5th March 2016.