BASSEY’S IN THE ZONE TO GIVE BEES A PICK-ME-UP
A STEELY display saw Simon Bassey record his first win as head coach against a disappointing Aldershot Town side whose recent form had suggested a possible late surge for the play-off spots.
A well-placed header from a revitalised JJ Hooper on the half hour would set Barnet on their way to only their second home league win of the season.
The Shots then levelled before the interval with a bizarre own goal from goalkeeper Aymen Azaze, but a determined second-half showing with Ephron Mason-Clark winning and converting a penalty was capped off in time added on by a spectacular individual goal by substitute Tomi Adeloye.
Bassey, a former Aldershot player in only his second game at the helm at Barnet, saw the half-time period as vital. “The team talk at half-time was about how we’d been unjustly punished for a foul on Aymen Azaze, and that we had two options,” he said. “We could either sit and sulk and feel sorry for ourselves, or we dust ourselves down and go again as a team.”
Barnet started the game positively, but flickers of the Shots’ attacking intent were evident when Chike Kandi accelerated down the right flank and fed Harrison Panayiotou, who threatened with a crisp shot.
Barnet forged ahead when a dangerous delivery from the right by Lee Vaughan was met by Hooper whose well-directed headed effort looped up and over the keeper into the far corner.
The Shots were level just six minutes later when Azaze lost control of the ball from a corner with the ball slipping over the goal-line with Panayiotou in close attendance.
Barnet showed great resolve after the break oand forged ahead again on 71 minutes when George Fowler fouled Mason-Clark as the Barnet winger weaved his way into the penalty box, before dispatching the spot kick himself.
And victory was sealed two minutes into time added on when Adeloye, ignoring shouts from the coaching staff to head for the corner flag, evaded challenge after challenge before calmly slotting home.
Disappointed Aldershot boss Danny Searle said: “Make no bones about it Barnet thoroughly deserved it, we were nowhere near good enough and our players got exactly what they deserved.
“The manner in which we conceded the goals was really poor. When you play like we did today against any team in this league, you are going to get beat.”
Bassey saw many positives in his team’s display: “The back four and the two central midfielders just in front gave us a really good base to work off.
“We stood up to the challenge and came through in the end.”