Sky Bet League Two
The Hive
Tuesday 23rd February 2016
Kick Off: 19:45
Barnet: The Bees went four games unbeaten before Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to AFC Wimbledon, keeping clean sheets in all four matches. Despite losing to the Dons, Barnet are still the fourth best side in League Two when it comes to home form, and are 12th in the division’s form chart (last eight games).
To watch Martin Allen’s pre-match interview, click here.
Portsmouth: Gary Roberts’ late equaliser rescued a point for Pompey at the weekend, as Portsmouth drew with Yeovil Town at Huish Park. The south coast side finished the match with ten men, after Christian Burgess was sent off for two yellow cards within a minute. Tuesday’s opponents remain in the play-offs spots on goal difference, but have a game in hand over a number of their promotion chasing rivals. Portsmouth’s recent results have been mixed, with four wins, three draws and three defeats from their last ten league games. They are currently 18th in the form chart, and are the ninth best team on the road this season.
In The Dugout: Paul Cook made over 500 league appearances as a player; notably for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley, as well as a spell with Premier League Coventry City. He moved in management in 2006 with Southport, before joining League of Ireland side Sligo Rovers just under a year later. Cook stayed with ‘the Bit o’ Red’ for almost five seasons – he won the FAI Cup twice and the League of Ireland Cup on one occasion while at the club. A brief stint in the Accrington Stanley dugout followed, before a highly successful three seasons at Chesterfield from 2012 to 2015. The Kirkby-born manager won promotion from League Two, before reaching the League One play-offs the following season. He left to join current club Portsmouth at the end of the 2014-15 campaign.Â
Dangerman: Gareth Evans has scored eight league goals this season, and seems to be enjoying life at Fratton Park since signing for the club last summer. The winger came through Crewe Alexandra’s famed youth academy, but never made an appearance for the Railwaymen. However his impressive performances in the Conference for hometown club Macclesfield Town began attracting Football League attention, and he signed for League Two Bradford City in 2009. Evans stayed with the Bantams for two seasons, scoring 14 goals in 85 games. His next stop was Rotherham United, where the wide man won promotion to League One with the Millers. He repeated that feat two years later while playing for Fleetwood Town, and will hope to achieve a hat-trick of fourth tier promotions with Pompey this season.
Last Meeting: Barnet lost a hard-fought encounter at Fratton Park earlier this season. The Bees took the lead through Andy Yiadom, but Conor Chaplin’s 37th minute strike pulled Pompey level. The home side then went ahead when Adam McGurk scored early in the second half. A Jamie Stephens red card reduced Barnet down to ten men, before Chaplin sealed the win with his second in injury time. You can read the report from that match here.
Ticket Details: proof of address will be neededTickets to Tuesday’s match must be bought in person at The Hive, and . They can also be purchased as part of our ‘Three for £33’ bundle! Find out more here.
Travel: As usual, there are no shuttle buses running to and from The Hive for mid-week matches.
Food & Drink: Grazioli’s Bar (under the West Stand) will be open from 17:15, and will be serving our range of top quality burgers. 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 here, and a match report & post-match reaction on barnetfc.com.