- Harrogate Town have won three and lost two of their last five games but come into this one on the back of two successive victories.
- Barnet have won four and drawn one of their last five, including four consecutive victories.
- The Bees are ninth in League Two with 73 points from 45 games, while Harrogate sit 23rd with just 39 points from the same number of matches.
Harrogate must win or they’re doomed
The home side have fared particularly poorly at home, winning just four and losing 15 of their 22 League Two games. Simon Weaver has been in charge of the club since 2009, instilling a unique high-energy, aggressive pressing style based around work rate and quick transitions. Jack Muldoon tops the club’s scoring charts in League Two with just five goals from 30 appearances this season, but Weaver’s system often leaves them short up top. There is certainly a goal in this game for Barnet if they can play through or around Harrogate’s press.
Brennan has been at the helm since 2021 and has overseen a transformation in the way his side play. From a free-flowing side that played their football with freedom and energy, the Bees have evolved into a possession-based team that rotates and attacks with numbers in a 3-4-2-1 system. The wing-backs provide width, but the most dangerous aspect of this system is the deep playmaker behind the front three, who can pull the opposition out of position and release the Bees into space behind the press. Callum Stead has been red-hot of late for Barnet, scoring seven of his side’s last 18 in their previous five.
Barnet can beat blunted Harrogate
A visit to Harrogate is never an easy trip for any team as Weaver’s side press from the first whistle, but Barnet have a real knack of getting the ball down and playing it through the press or around the outside of the hosts. Harrogate have also played with a high line this season, often getting themselves into trouble as a consequence of this, so the Bees can hurt them on the counter.
The reverse fixture at The Hive finished 1-1 earlier in the League Two campaign, but this fixture is a clash of desperation and ambition and it could go in Barnet’s favour. The Bees have been on a roll of late, and their superior form and attacking firepower can edge a high-scoring affair on Saturday. I’m backing Barnet to win, but both teams to score should also land here with Harrogate scoring 15 times in 22 at home.
Barnet have conceded just 23 goals in their 22 away fixtures this term, which is an average of 1.05 against per game in League Two, so they can get something in this one. Over 2.5 goals sits at 37/50, while Both Teams to Score - Yes is 59/100.
