Barnet will look to get back to winning ways when they host Oldham Athletic in a League Two fixture at The Hive Stadium on Saturday. The Bees, who sit second in the table, were beaten 3-1 by Swindon Town on Tuesday but have won three of their last five matches.
Dean Brennan's side have collected 21 points from their opening 10 games, putting them four points behind leaders Salford City. Their strong start has been built on a potent attack, with striker Kabongo Tshimanga leading the line with 16 goals in 44 appearances this season. The full fixtures list shows a key run of home games ahead. A win against Oldham would keep pressure on Salford and maintain a gap to the chasing playoff pack.
Recent form
Barnet's form has been mixed over the past fortnight. Following a 2-1 comeback win at Tranmere, where Tshimanga scored twice, they suffered a disappointing home loss to Swindon. Kabongo Tshimanga netted a late consolation in that match, assisted by Charlie Lakin. Prior to that, the team secured impressive away victories at Bristol Rovers and a draw at AFC Wimbledon. Defensively, they have kept only one clean sheet in their last six league outings.
Oldham arrive in London having struggled for consistency. They were thrashed 3-0 at Walsall last time out, a result that leaves them 21st in the standings. Their only wins in the last five came at home against Cheltenham and Leeds United's under-21 side in the EFL Trophy.
Team news
Barnet are expected to field a similar side to the one that started against Swindon. That lineup featured Cox in goal behind a back four of Senior, Collinge, Williams and Nicke Kabamba. Midfielders Gallagher and Ofoborh provided the base for attackers Comley, Charlie Lakin, Kanu and Tshimanga. Defender Sam Beard remains a long-term absentee with a knee ligament injury.
Goalkeeper Hudson will be protected by a defence including Sutton and Monthe. The creative burden will fall on the likes of Drummond and Kavanagh in attack. Midfielder Josh Stones is a doubt after coming off with a tight hamstring in the Walsall defeat.
The match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday as Barnet aim to solidify their automatic promotion push. Oldham, meanwhile, are looking for points to climb away from the relegation zone. The reverse fixture last season ended in a 1-1 draw at Boundary Park.
