Barnet Secures Opening Win Despite Manager's Frustration
Barnet began life in League Two with a statement win – and a stinging rebuke from their manager.
Dean Brennan watched his side sweep past Salford 3-1 at The Hive, then walked away irritated rather than elated. The scoreline flattered Salford. The late goal infuriated him.
Barnet ruthless, but Brennan unforgiving
Barnet were at it early. After 24 minutes, Oisin Gallagher broke the deadlock, setting the tone for a home side that looked sharper, quicker and far more decisive.
Charlie Lakin then doubled the lead before the break, Barnet slicing through a Salford side that never really settled. At 2-0, the hosts were cruising. By the closing stages, they were rampant.
Kabongo Tshimanga added a third late on to cap what looked, from the stands at least, like a near-perfect opening-day performance.
Brennan didn’t see it that way.
"It's a good start but I'm annoyed not to keep a clean sheet," he said, cutting straight through the feel-good mood. For him, the margin should have been wider, the control more ruthless.
"When it comes to the real detail, we should have won the game by four clear goals. We got three up and put in a huge performance."
The frustration runs deeper than one result. Last season still lingers.
"My team went mad last year for conceding silly goals and we dropped so many points in leading positions."
Late lapse leaves a sour taste
That history explains why the 90th-minute goal from Salford captain Adebola Oluwo landed like a punch to the gut. The contest was over, but the message Brennan has hammered into his players is that standards don’t drop, even at 3-0.
Salford had already rattled the post late on. Brennan didn’t like what he saw from his bench.
"I said to the players in the huddle, if players are coming off the bench, I need to trust them. They need to be reliable."
The win was big. The warning was bigger.
Cox impresses as Barnet eye more firepower
One new face did earn unqualified praise. Goalkeeper Matthew Cox, making his league bow for Barnet, drew a very different tone from his manager.
"He's a really good goalkeeper and his kicking is outstanding," Brennan said. "He's embedded into the squad really well and he's the keeper I wanted this summer."
Even with three goals scored and three points banked, Brennan’s mind is already on the next step. He wants more options, more threat.
"We've still got a bit of business left to do," he admitted. "We need attacking players so I can make attacking substitutions. We haven't had enough of that and it's an area we have to address."
Win secured. Standards raised. Recruitment ongoing.
Salford left hurting after flat start
On the other side, Salford’s afternoon never really got going. By the time Oluwo struck at the death, the damage had long been done.
"There is a lot of hurt and disappointment within the four walls of the changing room," said head coach Peter Cklamovski. "It's a bad performance and that sort of performance gets you these results."
He didn’t hide from Barnet’s superiority or from his own team’s shortcomings.
"Credit to Barnet, they turned the game into their style and we didn't handle those elements, both direct balls and second balls."
Salford did rally after the break. They pressed higher, chased harder, and tried to drag themselves back into it.
"We climbed a huge mountain in the second half and pushed hard. We need to use it as fuel for next weekend and be more effective in the first half."
For a club talking about promotion, the message from Cklamovski was blunt: talk means nothing without performances.
"We earn the right to perform better and play our football and turn words like ambition into reality."
"That wasn't a reflection of who we are and that's the heartache of it because that's not who we envisage ourselves to be."
Barnet walk away with three points and a manager demanding more. Salford leave with a warning and a wound. The response, from both sides, will tell plenty about where this season is really heading.
