Barnet Dominates Salford in League Two Opener
Barnet began life in League Two with a statement win – and a scowl from their manager.
Dean Brennan watched his side dismantle Salford 3-1 at The Hive, saw three new heroes on the scoresheet, and still walked away irritated. Not by the performance for 89 minutes. By the 90th.
Barnet ruthless, then careless
The tone was set midway through the first half. After 24 minutes, Oisin Gallagher struck to open the scoring, rewarding Barnet’s early intensity and giving the home crowd exactly what they wanted: proof that last season’s momentum had not been left behind in the summer.
Barnet did not ease off. Charlie Lakin doubled the lead before the break, and at that stage Salford looked second best in every duel, second to every loose ball. The hosts were sharper, more direct, and far more decisive in the final third.
The pressure kept building. Kabongo Tshimanga added a third late on, a goal that reflected Barnet’s control and gave the scoreline the feel of a rout. Salford were stretched, Barnet were rampant, and Brennan’s side looked every inch a team ready to live with the demands of a higher division.
Then came the sting.
Salford captain Adebola Oluwo pulled one back in the 90th minute, a consolation on paper but a flashpoint for Brennan.
"It's a good start but I'm annoyed not to keep a clean sheet," he said, frustration cutting through the satisfaction of three points. "When it comes to the real detail, we should have won the game by four clear goals. We got three up and put in a huge performance.
"My team went mad last year for conceding silly goals and we dropped so many points in leading positions."
Salford had already rattled the post in the closing stages, a warning that Barnet’s grip was loosening just when it should have been iron tight.
"I said to the players in the huddle, if players are coming off the bench, I need to trust them. They need to be reliable."
Cox impresses as Brennan eyes reinforcements
If the late goal annoyed him, one new arrival did not. Brennan reserved clear praise for goalkeeper Matthew Cox, who delivered a composed debut behind a largely dominant display.
"He's a really good goalkeeper and his kicking is outstanding," Brennan said. "He's embedded into the squad really well and he's the keeper I wanted this summer."
The Barnet boss is not finished shaping his squad.
"We've still got a bit of business left to do," he admitted. "We need attacking players so I can make attacking substitutions. We haven't had enough of that and it's an area we have to address."
Three goals on opening day, and he still wants more firepower. The standards are obvious.
Salford left hurting
On the opposite touchline, Peter Cklamovski cut a very different figure. Salford arrived with promotion talk swirling around them and left with a blunt reminder of how unforgiving this division can be.
"There is a lot of hurt and disappointment within the four walls of the changing room," the Salford boss said. "It's a bad performance and that sort of performance gets you these results.
"Credit to Barnet, they turned the game into their style and we didn't handle those elements, both direct balls and second balls."
Salford did rally after the break, chasing a way back into a contest that had largely escaped them.
"We climbed a huge mountain in the second half and pushed hard. We need to use it as fuel for next weekend and be more effective in the first half.
"We earn the right to perform better and play our football and turn words like ambition into reality.
"That wasn't a reflection of who we are and that's the heartache of it because that's not who we envisage ourselves to be."
For Barnet, it was a near-perfect launch with a late, nagging reminder of last season’s bad habits. For Salford, it was a jolt. How quickly they respond will say plenty about whether those promotion ambitions are anything more than words.
