City travel down to face high-flying Barnet on Tuesday night - a win would lift the Minstermen to 2nd in League Two, but the Bees have started the season in fine form. What is the secret to Barnet’s success in recent seasons, who are their key players and how is manager Dean Brennan likely to set them up?
We’ve met before…
York and Barnet have had some memorable encounters in recent years when both found themselves in the National League. City’s last three trips to The Hive have all been significant for different reasons: a 5-0 win under John Askey’s management in 2022/23 was probably the most impressive result of that campaign, while a 2-0 defeat the following season spelled the end for Neal Ardley’s reign as manager, and a 3-1 loss under Adam Hinshelwood the year after marked the point when the title race turned definitively in Barnet’s favour.
Before the Bees moved to their current home, there were also some notable meetings between the clubs at Underhill. Paul Barnes hit a hat-trick in a 5-1 win for Alan Little’s promotion-chasing York side in March 1993, while the fixture in August 1999 produced even more goals, ending in a 6-3 win for Barnet. The overall head-to-head record between the clubs is dead even, with ten wins each and two games ending in draws.
What to expect from Barnet
Barnet’s fortunes have been transformed since Dean Brennan was appointed as manager in September 2021. Back then, they were rooted to the bottom of the National League, but Brennan has led them to a higher placed finish in each of his seasons in charge, winning promotion to the EFL as National League champions in 2024/25 and following it up with an 8th placed finish in League Two last season.
This season, the Bees were among those expected to challenge for promotion, and their early season form has backed this up. An opening-day win over title favourites Salford set the tone for a run of six wins and three draws from their opening nine games, before a first defeat of the season came last Tuesday. Even in that game, which saw Swindon run out 3-1 winners at The Hive, Barnet could argue they were the dominant side, racking up 22 shots but being punished by some ruthless finishing by the visitors. At the weekend, a red card for midfielder Isiah Noel-Williams turned the tide of a game they were winning against struggling Oldham, and the Latics snatched an equaliser in stoppage time.
Barnet are the highest scoring side in League Two, with 24 goals despite having played two fewer games than some sides in the division. They rank 6th in the league for shots on target per match and big chances created, and 3rd for expected goals. They have strayed slightly from the focus on possession that typified their style under Brennan in previous seasons, although they still tend to see slightly more of the ball than opponents with an average of 54% possession. It will be interesting to see which of the sides wins the possession battle on Tuesday night, with York still posting the highest average in the league but having had less of the ball than Port Vale in Saturday’s win.
Brennan has moved away from a three at the back system, and has mostly been setting his team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation this season. Much of their scoring threat comes from forward Kabongo Tshimanga, who has found the net in each of the Bees’ last five games and is currently League Two top scorer with nine goals already this season. Summer signing Charlie Lakin has become a key part of the side, with the attacking midfielder registering six goals and three assists since joining from Walsall in the summer.
Two other young players who joined in summer and have established themselves in the team are Welsh centre-back Zac Williams, who signed from Crewe, and defensive midfielder Oisín Gallagher who has joined on a season-long loan from Lincoln after impressing for Boston in the National League last season. Forward Jack Maskell will be available for the clash with York, having served a three-match ban for violent conduct, but is most commonly used as an option off the bench.
York team news
After making three changes to his starting line-up in two consecutive games, Scott Lindsey may be tempted to name an unchanged side from the one that started Saturday’s 2-0 win over Port Vale. Lindsey praised the performance of Arthur Read, who may expect to retain his place in midfield, while Frankie Maguire also showed some promise on his first league start but may come under competition from Alex Newby. Having sat out the Port Vale tie with a minor calf problem, Joe Grey could also be available to add to Lindsey’s attacking options.
City’s bench has gained strength in recent games, with Morgan Williams, Hiram Boateng and Josh Stones all returning from injury to be named among the substitutes. The trip to The Hive will probably see them continue to be eased back into action, rather than risked from the start. Zech Medley is also nearing a return from injury, but Craig Hewitt is not yet back in training as he continues his recovery.
