Wealdstone v Barnet - Match Preview

THE DETAILS

Wealdstone v Barnet

National League

Grosvenor Vale

Monday 5th April, 3:00pm kick-off

This fixture will be hosted behind closed doors.

HOW TO WATCH

Due to current COVID-19 restrictions in place across the country, this fixture will be held behind closed doors. We are live streaming the event and you can purchase your streaming passes HERE.

THE CONTEXT

There will be a familiar face in the Barnet dugout for Easter Monday's derby fixture with Stones former Fitness & Conditioning Coach Gary Anderson given the caretaker role after Paul Fairclough stepped down as interim boss last week. The visitors have had a merry-go-round of managers and inconsistency this season and find themselves bottom of the National League table. This derby fixture will always have an added edge due to the history of Barnet's current home ground and Stones fans will be buoyed by Good Friday's improved result and performance in a 2-2 away draw to play-off chasing Bromley, whilst the Bees were beaten 2-0 at home by Solihull Moors.

TEAM NEWS

Michael Phillips passed a late fitness test to start in Good Friday's 2-2 draw with Bromley and got through 69 minutes of the game before he was replaced by Alex Dyer who had also returned that day from international duty. New signing Nikola Tavares remains out with a quad injury and Daniel Bowry has returned to Cheltenham Town following the end of his loan spell. Meanwhile, Ashley Charles will miss this fixture against his former club after picking up a second yellow card in Friday's draw, he will begin the first of a two-game suspension. Joseph Olowu is nearest a return out of the injured available players but this game will be too soon for the Arsenal loanee, seven players are unavailable due to furlough.

FORM GUIDE

Stones:

Bromley (A) 2-2 D (Gondoh, Smith) Solihull Moors (A) 3-0 L Woking (H) 0-1 L Weymouth (A) 0-4 L Notts County (H) 0-1 L

Barnet:

Solihull Moors (H) 0-2 L Yeovil Town (A) 3-1 L (Kefalas) Chesterfield (H) 0-2 L Stockport County (A) 2-1 L (McQueen) Bromley (A) 2-2 D (Baker-Richardson, Petrasso)

WHAT WAS SAID Matt Saunders: "It's a shame really as it would've been nice to have fans here and have that extra man, we know what our fans are like and they would have been unbelievable. It's a big game but we've got to put that to the back of our minds as we have a job to do and I think we will do it.

"The reality is again that we will probably go into this game as underdogs, as everybody knows their resources and what they're spending, but we can bridge the gap, I believe we can bridge the gap and we will bridge the gap. It's massive game we want to win, we're at home and we've got to be the positive attacking side in the game; we will do that and start just as we did in the Bromley game."

WHO TO WATCH FOR

Alexander McQueen: McQueen has been one of the few regular features of the Barnet squad this season and returned in Good Friday's defeat at Solihull Moors after featuring for Grenada on international duty. The Barnet number seven has fashioned the full-back role well since joining the Bees in September from Dagenham & Redbridge, where he made over 50 National League appearances and has played in the EFL for Carlisle United and has also played in Finland for VPS and PS Kemi.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Played - 109 Won - 37 Drawn - 21 Lost - 51

LAST FIVE MEETINGS: Dec 2020 - Barnet 0-0 Stones Aug 2002 - Barnet 2-2 Stones (Swaysland, Mapes) Aug 1991 - Stones 0-4 Barnet Mar 1988 - Stones 0-6 Barnet Nov 1987 - Barnet 5-1 Stones (English)

Preview by Chris Woods