MATCH REPORT: WOKING – H

Barnet FC were back at The Hive and took on Woking FC. Dean Brennan named an unchanged starting eleven for the third time in a row and saw Moussa Diarra return from injury to the bench.

After a five-minute delay to kick off due to the Woking coach being haulted by traffic, the game got underway.

The opening stages of the game were close and tense with little between the two sides. The first opportunity of the afternoon came from Woking. A whipped-in ball resulted in a shot that was sliced over the bar.

Dean Brennan was vocal throughout the game by instructing his players. Barnet came close in the 12th minute as Mason-Clark saw a cross deflected. It was deflected towards the Woking goal and saved by the keeper.

Both sides struggled to forge many serious chances until Woking made a strong counterattack following a close Barnet opportunity in the 22^nd minute. The ball was whipped in from the right and the resulting shot flew wide after brilliant pressure from Ben Wynter.

The crucial moment came on the stroke of Halftime. The ball was whipped in from the right and was met by Ryan De Havilland at the back stick. His shot deflected off the post and hit the back of the net. The Bees went 1-0 up at the break.

The tense affair continued into the second half. De Havilland came close in the 55^th minute following a marvellous run from Mason-Clark. His sweetly hit shot, from the edge of the box, cannoned off the post past a helpless keeper. It remained 1-0.

In the 69^th minute, Brennan’s side were forced into some collective defending. A Woking attacker made a weaving run between players that was eventually stopped by a combination of Barnet defenders. Woking’s loud appeals for a penalty were dismissed and Barnet continued to hunt for a second.

The Bee army were finally greeted with a second goal with 9 minutes to go. The ball was whipped in from the left and was met by Ben Wynter at the back post who nodded home for his first Barnet goal.

After the referee added 9 minutes of additional time, Diarra made his return from injury to see out a 2-0 victory for the Bees.

Barnet XI: 1. Laurie Walker; 21. Ben Wynter; 4. Danny Collinge; 6. Jerome Okimo; 23. Sam Beard; 8. Dale Gorman; 14. Harry Pritchard; 33. Ryan De Havilland; 11. Ephron Mason-Clark; 9. Nicke Kabamba; 32. Sean Shields – Subs: 12. James Callan; 44. Michael Phillips; 18. Connor Smith; 7. Rob Hall; 27. Moussa Diarra