Ahead of the Game: Barnet (H)

William Bewsey
12:01pm, Thu 13th Mar 2025

Woking vs Barnet
Vanarama National League
Saturday 15th March 2025
15:00 Kick-Off

After a run of four straight away games, with three draws and success on penalties at Oxford City, Woking return home, where they are unbeaten in eight, but will surely face their toughest test yet as rampant table toppers Barnet visit the Laithwaite.

Neal Ardley will hope to have an array of names off the treatment table and onto the pitch as soon as possible, but Saturday might come too soon for a number of players with just a week’s recovery since Boston.

It was around this time last season that an unlikely home win over Barnet dragged Woking clear of danger, so a repeat would be most welcome with Ardley hunting down the 50 point mark.

Opposition Watch
A shock 4-0 playoff defeat against Solihull Moors last season convinced Dean Brennan to go for the jugular this time around, moving on several big names such as Dale Gorman to the Cards. The league sensed that Brennan was hoping for third time lucky in the push for promotion, and reinforcements have continued all season long, with the impromptu departure of Nicke Kabamba for a large fee enabling Lee Ndlovu and Dom Telford to join the Bees.

Ndlovu is in fine form, with five goals in twelve games not telling the story of his importance. The Bees have had to ‘find a way’ as title winning teams do, and his 20 minute cameo ended with a last gasp winner against struggling Dagenham and Redbridge, who looked like they were going to be the first side to keep a clean sheet against Barnet since Boston last month.

With their last league defeat coming in late October last year, Brennan’s side have built up an 11 point gap, meaning that ultimately, extending that unbeaten run into April should theoretically clinch the title.

Around the Ground
Ticket information is available here.

Please note, as of today's game, cash will no longer be accepted anywhere in the ground. The club is now fully cashless.

Last Time Out
Goals from former Card Rhys Browne and Bailey Hobson either side of half time secured a comfortable 2-0 win for Barnet back in November, with this being their third 2-0 home win over the Cards in as many games.

Last season, a Kevin Berkoe goal defeated the promotion chasing Bees 1-0 at the Laithwaite, with the reverse coming in August 2023 at the Hive as previously mentioned.

Since the Cards were promoted in 2019, the sides have met eleven times, with Woking winning four, Barnet five and two draws.

Match Report | Cards blunted by buoyant Bees

William Bewsey
4:56pm, Sat 15th Mar 2025

Woking 0-1 Barnet
Vanarama National League
15th March 2025

Woking’s first home game in March came with the visit of runaway leaders Barnet to the Laithwaite.

Neal Ardley made one change from last week’s trip to Boston, with Jermaine Anderson making way for Dan Moss. The Bees lined up with one former Card in Rhys Browne, who of course netted last time these sides met at the Hive back in November.

Early pressure for the Cards at a sun-kissed Laithwaite saw a Jamie Andrews long throw only half cleared into the path of Dennon Lewis, but his volley was straight at Owen Evans.

Barnet enjoyed a spell of possession leading to a chance after eight minutes when a cross from the right hand side was flicked by Akinola into the path of Ryan Glover, but the former Aldershot man was unable to divert his header into the corner, Jaaskelainen collecting comfortably.

The visitors opened the scoring after 27 minutes when a long throw was knocked down into the path of Browne, who fired into the bottom corner to make it another goal against his former side.

Another big chance for Barnet came eight minutes after the opener. Browne’s shot was blocked into the path of Callum Stead, but a fine low save from Jaaskelainen down to his right denied the forward.

Half time arrived with Barnet looking comfortable at a goal up, meaning Woking would have to improve significantly in attacking areas to get anything from the game.

Half-time: Woking 0-1 Barnet

Woking’s first effort of the game came nine minutes into the second half, when a Jamie Andrews long throw was headed into the path of Chin Okoli, but unlike his powerful volley at Southend, this strike cleared the stand.

A mazy run from Stead saw him slalom his way into the box, with a crucial interception just denying him a chance to shoot after carrying the ball 30 to 40 yards.

With Woking looking blunt up front, Neal Ardley made three substitutions, with Junior Morias, Jacob Jones and Lewis Walker on for Gorman, Lewis and Chicksen.

A golden chance for Walker saw him evade the offside trap and chest down Beautyman’s dinked ball, but with the goal gaping he fired a tame shot into Owen Evans’ chest.

With the game entering the final ten minutes of normal time, Idris Kanu drove into the box and fired a shot which was well parried by Jaaskelainen. Another fantastic save from the Finn kept Woking in the game when he superbly pushed Ndlovu’s header from a Hartigan corner away from goal.

Barnet held on comfortably to inflict Woking’s first home defeat under Ardley, putting on a performance that showed why they should end up as champions.

Next up for the Cards, Wealdstone away on Saturday.

Woking: Jaaskelainen, Kelly-Evans, Moss, Okoli, Akinola, Chicksen (Jones 71’), Lewis (Morias 63’), Gorman (Walker 71’), Andrews, Beautyman, Effiong

Subs: Webber, Anderson, Ince, Vincent

Bookings: Gorman 20’

Barnet : Evans, Collinge, Browne (Grimwood 76’), Ndlovu (Telford 90+1’), Stead (Brunt 89’), Kanu, Glover, Hartigan, Clifford (Cropper 78’), Tavares, Kenlock

Subs: Bellagambi, Coker, Chapman

Goals: Browne 27’

Bookings: Hartigan 44’, Stead 45+4’, Evans 90+1’

Attendance: 3281

Sponsors’ Man of the Match: Will Jaaskelainen kept the Cards in the game with a number of top class saves.