Charlie Lakin's second-half double secured a vital 2-1 win for Barnet over Accrington Stanley at The Hive. The comeback victory ended a run of three consecutive draws and propelled Dean Brennan's side back to the summit of League Two on goal difference.
Barnet had trailed at the break after Charlie Caton's clever 27th-minute chip for the visitors. The hosts struggled to convert early pressure, with a penalty shout for a challenge on Lakin waved away and several efforts flying off target. The manager kept faith with the same starting eleven that drew 3-3 at Chesterfield the previous weekend, but his team found themselves behind.
Lakin leads the response
The introduction of Tottenham loanee Damola Ajayi at half-time for his home debut changed the dynamic. Just before the hour, Ajayi started a move that led to the equaliser. He found Adam Senior, whose cross was met by Lakin to make it 1-1. Further changes saw Romany Crichlow and Jake Reeves enter the fray, with Reeves immediately causing problems from set-pieces.
The winner arrived in the 72nd minute. Kabongo Tshimanga played the ball into the area, a defensive header struck the post, and Lakin was quickest to react to tap in the rebound. It was his fifth goal in six appearances since joining from Walsall in the summer. The Barnet Post noted the midfielder's immediate impact.
A nervy finale
Accrington's task became harder just ninety seconds after falling behind when Devon Matthews was shown a straight red card for a lunge on Lakin. Barnet pushed to kill the game and Ajayi hit the post late on, but the two goals were enough. The three points were confirmed, and with Bristol Rovers losing earlier in the day, Barnet returned to first place.
The result extends the club's remarkable unbeaten league run to fifteen matches, a sequence of ten wins and five draws dating back to early March that sets a new EFL club record. The team now has 12 points from six games, with a recent form of two wins and three draws from their last five outings.
Dean Brennan's side will look to build on this momentum when they host Fleetwood Town at The Hive next Saturday. The full schedule is available on the club's fixtures list. The attendance for this key win was 1,990, including 78 travelling supporters.
