Thursday, March 10, 2011

Preview: Bulls vs Barnet

The Bulls entertain Barnet on Saturday in a League Two match at Edgar Street.

The two sides met in the final game of Simon Davey's reign at the start of October, with a spiritless Bulls performance ending in a 2-0 defeat prompting an unstoppable demand from fans for Davey's head. Overall, Barnet have won in only one of 13 visits to Edgar Street. That came in January 2008 with the Bees winning 2-1 thanks to a late Nicky Nicolau goal. That game saw the Bulls field Theo Robinson and Gary Hooper up front while the Bees featured Jason Puncheon, who scored for Blackpool against Chelsea on Monday.

The Bulls will look to rectify their home form against one of the odds-on relegation candidates. The Bulls sit bottom of the League on their home form alone, with two points less than any other side, and having scored fewer home goals than any other side bar Lincoln. A positive, attacking, display will be most welcome after some recent lukewarm performances, but it could be Waide Fairhurst's final game at Edgar Street. The Doncaster striker sees his loan expire after Saturday's game though there is some hope of an extension with Donny's injury crisis easing over the past week.

The Bees have failed to score in six of their last nine games and have only scored eight goals in their last 11 - including a four goal haul against Lincoln. Despite the lack of goals they have lost only four times in that run, with their threadbare defence holding surprisingly firm. Of the four ex-Bulls in the Bees squad only one is likely to feature due to injuries. Darren Dennehy has missed most of the season, while Glen Southam and Anwar Uddin are both shorter term casualties leaving only Mark Marshall to line up against the Bulls. The former Swindon winger had a ten game loan at Edgar Street in late 2009 and has already scored six times this term.

Hereford United vs Barnet, Edgar Street, Saturday 12th March, 3.00pm.