Barnet FC finish their 2025/26 campaign with an away trip to Harrogate Town at the Exercise Stadium this week. The Bees head north in fine form, having scored six goals in their last home game, but face a desperate opponent fighting to avoid the drop.
According to a match preview from Barnet FC, Harrogate Town occupies the first relegation spot and needs at least a draw on the final day to have a chance of staying in the EFL. Their fate also depends on results elsewhere, as they are level on points with Crawley Town and one point behind both Newport County and Tranmere Rovers. Simon Weaver's side has given themselves hope with back-to-back wins, their first consecutive victories in seven months.
Dean Brennan's team is finishing the season strongly, scoring many goals in the later stages of the campaign. Their last outing was a spectacular 6-2 home win over Gillingham, where striker Callum Stead scored five times. Stead opened the scoring just six minutes after kick-off and completed a first-half hat-trick before adding a fourth before the break. Defender Crichlow also scored before halftime from a Glover delivery. Stead's fifth came in the 70th minute from a Kane Smith corner, though Gillingham scored a late consolation.
That result extended Barnet's impressive run. Their last five matches have yielded four wins and a draw: the 6-2 win vs Gillingham, a 2-1 win vs Notts County, a 3-2 win vs Barrow A.F.C, a 5-2 win vs Fleetwood Town, and a 2-2 draw vs Bromley. You can review the full run-in on our fixtures page.
Harrogate Town's survival bid has been dramatic. They won 1-0 against Colchester United thanks to a Jacob Slater goal in the ninth minute of added time. They followed that with a 2-0 away win at Walsall's Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium, where Shawn McCoulsky scored two early second-half goals. Goalkeeper Mark Oxley was praised for his saves in that match, which temporarily lifted Harrogate out of the bottom two. However, Newport County's late winner against Oldham Athletic immediately put them back in the drop zone.
Manager Simon Weaver, now 48, is approaching 17 years in charge after taking an initial player-manager role in May 2009. He has a long-standing footballing relationship with Barnet boss Dean Brennan. Weaver recently said his team had "bought good football to the football club." Their last five results are a mixed bag: 2-0 win vs Walsall, 1-0 win vs Colchester, 2-1 loss vs Newport County, 2-3 loss vs Bristol Rovers, and a 1-3 win vs Grimsby Town.
A significant figure for Harrogate is goalkeeper Mark Oxley. The 35-year-old has made only six starts this season, with two coming in these key final games, and he has kept back-to-back clean sheets. Oxley brings vast experience, with almost 350 EFL appearances across all leagues and over a century of appearances for Harrogate Town. He took over the gloves after James Belshaw moved to Notts County in January, with Ipswich Town loanee Henry Gray not favoured for the final run-in.
For Barnet, this match concludes a season where they have built strong momentum heading into the break. The club will now focus on planning for the next campaign, with squad decisions and pre-season preparations on the horizon. Fans can track any squad updates on our dedicated squad page. The final day clash promises high stakes at one end of the pitch, offering Barnet a chance to end a productive season on a positive note against motivated opposition.
