The Fishy - Grimsby Town FC

Question of the Week

Who will go down?







Jonah: Recall?
Jonah: Recall?

Preview: Grimsby v Barnet

By: Sam Kinnaird
Date: 19/04/2007

TOWN take on an in-form Barnet looking to leapfrog them and Hereford into 14th place and gain an 11th win of the season at Blundell Park.

Home > 2006-2007 Season > Previews > Barnet (h)


The Opposition

Overview
After being on the verge of expulsion in the 1992/3 season for being unable to pay their players' wages and to meet a deadline for a £50,000 fine, Barnet won promotion to the old Division Two under Barry Fry. However they were relegated the next season after registering only five league wins. Barnet became an established side in the Football League's basement division reaching two play-off semi finals and losing to Colchester and Peterborough. They were however relegated in the 2000/1 season to the Vauxhall Conference, where they reached the play-off semi final in the 2003/4 season but lost out on penalties to eventual winners Shrewsbury Town. The following season (2004/05) with Paul Fairclough at the helm, the Bees went one better than the previous campaign and were crowned Champions of the Nationwide Conference and regained their Football League status. They amassed an impressive 86 points in the season, scoring 90 goals with it. Barnet also finished 12 points ahead of their nearest rival, Hereford United. The following season started brightly, Barnet were top after four games, but a 4-1 defeat in the Carling Cup trip at Old Trafford coincided with a terrible league run. They were kept in the Football League by some good home form which saw them finish 5 points above the drop-zone.

This Season
The Bees began this season in poor form, and they lost start striker Tresor Kandol to Leeds in November, but they rallied towards the turn of the year included four straight league wins which led them towards mid-table. They also reached the FA Cup Fourth Round for the first time in their history after disposing of Colchester United and Northampton Town along the way. Their run was ended by Plymouth Argyle who beat them 2-0 at Underhill but the Barnet side who pushed them all the way to the final whistle. 2007 has seen some indifferent form for the Bees who ended Stockport's incredible 10 game unbeaten run with a 3-1 home win and Hartlepool's 21 games unbeaten when they beat them 2-1 at Underhill. But they have also lost games against Accrington and Boston. Barnet are currently unbeaten in their last four games, with wins against Darlington, Hartlepool and Rochdale and a home draw with Bristol Rovers. Kandol left Underhill having scored 13 goals and since that Barnet have struggled in front of goal. Their top scorer is Dean Sinclair (left) who currently has 7 goals in all competitions.

Key Player
Jason Puncheon. A 20-year-old attacking midfielder, Puncheon was signed from MK Dons in June 2006, he has scored 6 goals for Barnet this season in 42 appearances. He scored a brilliant winner in the FA Cup Third Round as Barnet beat Championship side Colchester United 2-1 at Underhill and was awarded the 'player of the round' award, voted for by fans on the FA web site ahead of players such as Tomas Rosicky and Arturo Lupoli.

Recent Form

TownBarnet
LAccrington(a)1-4
DWycombe(h)2-2
WMK Dons(a)2-1
LNotts Co(a)0-2
LPeterborough(h)0-2
Currently 16th in League Two.
DBristol R(h)1-1
WRochdale(a)2-0
WHartlepool(h)2-1
WDarlington(h)2-1
LChester(a)0-2
Currently 14th in League Two.

Top Scorers

TownBarnet
Peter Bore8
Ciaran Toner8
Sinclair7
Birchall6

Team News

TownBarnet

  • Nick Fenton is again a doubt with a niggling knee problem picked up in March, Simon Grand could step in.

  • Long term injury victims Michael Reddy and Gary Cohen continue to miss first team action.

  • Gary Croft is suspended after being sent off for a hand ball at Accrington last week, and midfielder James Hunt has returned to Bristol Rovers after his loan spell ended.

  • Alan Buckley could well revert to a 4-4-2 system after the poor defeat to Accrington.
  • Skipper Ian Hendon is a doubt with a calf strain which has seen him miss the last 3 games.
  • Probable Teams

    TownBarnet
    1Phil Barnes
    2John McDermott
    5Nick Fenton
    6Justin Whittle
    3Tom Newey
    17Peter Till
    8Paul Bolland
    16Danny Boshell
    10Ciaran Toner
    22Danny North
    19Gary Jones
    1Ross Flitney
    TBANicky Ioannou
    3 Simon King
    17 Joe Devera
    19 Nicky Nicolau
    23 Barry Cogan
    2 Nick Bailey
    8 Dean Sinclair
    20 Jason Puncheon
    7 Liam Hatch
    27Adam Birchall

    Subs

    TownBarnet
    13Robert Murray
    28Ryan Bennett
    24Simon Grand
    26Andy Taylor
    18Peter Bore
    18Lee Harrison
    9Giuliano Grazioli
    11Richard Graham
    21Magno Vieira
    28Oliver Allen

    Head to Head

    Last season was the first time The Mariners played Barnet and so far Town have a 100% record against the Bees without conceding a goal.

    P 3 W 3 D 0 L 0 F 5 A 0

    Barnet Head-to-Head (Not on The Opposition Ladder)

    Last Meeting

    An impressive first half effectively killed off relegation threatened Barnet as Gary Jones bagged two goals in two minutes. Paul Bolland also chipped in with a neat finish on the stroke of half time to secure another three points as Town chased promotion.

    11-Mar-2006
    Grimsby3 - 0Barnet
    Gary Jones 39, 41
    Bolland 45
      

    Grimsby Team: Mildenhall, McDermott, Futcher, Whittle, Newey, Cohen, Bolland (Kalala 69), Woodhouse, Toner, Reddy (Mendes 29), Gary Jones. Subs (not used): Croft, Goodfellow, Barwick.

    Barnet Team: Reed, Clist (Batt 60), Yakubu, Charles, King, Strevens, Hessenthaler, Sinclair, Bailey, Norville (Hatch 61), Grazioli (Soares 61).
    Subs (not used): Flitney, Lee.

    Attendance: 5,147  Report

    Prediction

    Grimsby 2-0 Barnet

    Reader's POMs

    Directions

    Click on the link for directions to Blundell Park (left).

    Admission Prices

    Click on the link for ticket prices to Blundell Park.

    Add To Facebook


    This site is by the fans, for the fans, and we will consider articles on any subject relating to the Mariners whether it be related to current news, a nostalgic look back in the past, a story about a player, a game or games in the past, something about Blundell Park or football in general. Click here to submit your article!


    Related Stories


    Forum Latest
    Thread TitlePostsLatest Post
    Prediction Thread Barrow A33Norseman28/03 23:36
    Dn35 podcast drinking game6MarinerWY28/03 23:26
    David Artell Interview Dn35 Podcast16WesternMariner28/03 21:26
    Just Back 170diehardmariner28/03 20:03
    New Training Ground.!!57Sigone28/03 19:38
    Youth players out on loan21diehardmariner28/03 16:54
    "Beat the Clock"  Barrow22Grantham_Mariner28/03 15:18
    Bradford KO time?4JK4728/03 13:13
    Twenty First Group / Overseas Market31jimgtfc28/03 11:16
    TV Games/Upcoming Fixtures4SiteBot28/03 03:30