DOVER ARE DEMOLISHED BY BARNET SIX-HITTERS
BARNET dismissed Dover with ease, hitting five second-half goals without reply to consign Dover Athletic to a second 6-0 drubbing of the season.
Amazingly, Dover opened the brighter of the two outfits, forcing three corners in quick succession but once new loan signing from Crawley, Reece Grego-Cox, had thumped an opener from 20 yards in the fifth minute, Barnet, with the wind in their favour, took total control.
The Bees hit the woodwork four times in the first half and were wasteful on numerous occasions.
The ex-Barnet striker Alfie Pavey did once power forward with a quarter of an hour played, but the home keeper Aston Oxborough dived bravely at his feet to thwart the danger.
Six minutes into the second half Adam Marriott nodded home from very close range after Ben Richards-Everton had headed a corner to the far post back into the danger area.
Just three minutes later, Grego-Cox’s shot hit a post only for the alert Marriott to pounce for his second.
In the 67th minute, centre-back Reiss Greenidge got the ball over the line, capitalising on lax defending at the heart of Dover’s rear-guard.
Barnet’s fifth came from an excellent left-footed delivery from full-back Sam Beard which was headed home in textbook style by Greco-Cox.
In time added on, sub Sam Woods was unmarked and was able converted from close range to complete Dover’s misery.
Due to a triple substitution and a subsequent injury to James Caton, Dover played the last half an hour with ten men, but even with a full compliment, given their lack-lustre approach, it is unlikely that they would have fared any better
Barnet’s head coach Dean Brennan beamed: “It was a brilliant performance from start to finish, in the first half we missed too many chances for my liking, but our attitude and mentality at the start of the second half was outstanding.
“We smelt blood today and to be honest with you we could have scored even more goals, but we have to be proud of our performance.
“Dover haven’t been capitulating like that, but from the word go we were outstanding.”
Dover boss Andy Hessenthaler was brutally honest in his assessment: “Shameful and embarrassing, we were nowhere near it today from everybody, me included, we can’t serve that up,” he moaned.
“The thing we haven’t done previously is give up, but today I thought we did.
“I am embarrassed and sorry for our supporters here today because it’s not cheap to travel to watch your team.
“I expect us to perform a lot, lot better than we did today.”
STAR MAN: Ben Richards-Everton (Barnet)
ATT: 1,168
ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★☆☆
REFEREE: James Durkin