Northampton Town 1 Barnet 3 (From Times Series)

Northampton Town 1 Barnet 3

9:37pm Friday 4th September 2009

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Barnet made it five wins on the trot to go top of League Two this evening.

Three second-half goals in 20 minutes turned this game on its head.

Northampton had gone in at the break in front, but the Bees raised their game after the interval and there was no stopping them.

Cheered on by more than 500 fans, this was another night to remember for the club.

Barnet boss Ian Hendon made three changes from the side that saw off Millwall on Tuesday night.

Back in came Paul Furlong, Micah Hyde and Ryan O'Neill, with John O'Flynn, Nicky Deverdics and Joe Devera dropping to the bench.

The Bees created the first real chance, Jake Hyde just failing to get on the end of an Albert Adomah pull-back after ten minutes.

It was a bright start by the visitors who were intent to take the game to their hosts.

Northampton were slow out of the blocks and their fans made them well aware of that.

It was not until the 27th minute that they mustered a shot on goal, but Ryan Gilligan was way over the bar with his free-kick.

However, within a minute, Ben Marshall had found the net for the home side, though it was via a cruel deflection. The winger cut inside and his low shot came off the leg of Ahmed Deen, leaving keeper Jake Cole with little chance.

The goal gave the Cobblers the lift they needed, though Adomah almost came up with an equaliser, his drive finishing just wide.

Yannick Bolasie also came close, rising at the far post to head an Adomah chip back across goal.

The Bees played the better football in the first half, but never tested keeper Chris Dunn, though they were perhaps a little unlucky to go in at the break behind.

The Cobblers had the first chance of the second half, Marshall forcing Cole to dive at full stretch to catch a crisply-hit drive from 20 yards.

But it was Barnet who struck on 50 minutes, Deen curling a free-kick round the wall and low into the bottom corner for his first goal for the club.

Northampton almost restored their lead immediately, a free-kick into the box causing mayhem before the ball was eventually hacked away.

Things were at last starting to warm up, the play now switching from end to end.

Marshall, Town's danger man, forced Cole into another fine save on the hour, the keeper pushing out his snapshot on this occasion.

Cole was then out quickly to thwart Gilligan, the Cobblers starting to look the likelier to find a winner.

Manager Hendon reacted by bringing on last season's top scorer O'Flynn for Jake Hyde.

But it was fellow striker and veteran Furlong who struck midway through the half, and what a goal it was. He connected to an Albert Jarrett cross first-time, his looping volley from 12 yards giving Dunn no chance. It was pure quality from the 40-year-old.

However, not to be outdone, O'Flynn got on the scoresheet three minutes later. He latched on to an awful headed back-pass by Dean Beckwith and rolled the ball under the legs of Dunn for number three.

It was a cracking few minutes for Barnet and sent the 500 visiting fans wild.

The Bees might also have had a penalty six minutes from time when Bolasie was upended, but nothing was given.

However, they now looked like they were capable of scoring every time they went forward, the visitors in full control as the home fans made for the exits.

BARNET (4-4-2): Cole; O'Neill, Yakubu, Kamdjo, Deen; Adomah (Jarrett 59), Hughes, M Hyde, Bolasie; Furlong, J Hyde (O'Flynn 64). Subs not used: Carpenter, Devera, Gillet, Tabiri, Deverdics.

Attendance: 4,206 (529 Barnet fans).

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