Barnet v York City: Bees stumble and tail-spin towards floor

PERENNIAL strugglers Barnet are in a familiar position with just two games of the new League Two season played.

Tomorrow’s hosts for the visit of York City are second bottom after two matches having, like their opponents at Underhill, got one point on the board in 2012/13.

The Bees are no stranger to the lower reaches, however, having only survived relegation on the final day of the season three years running, finishing third bottom twice and fourth bottom in the process.

Goalkeeper Liam O’Brien, 20, ensured Barnet earned a share of the spoils at home to Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night with a string of stunning saves.

But he may still make way for ex-Arsenal ’keeper Graham Stack, who was signed yesterday after being released by Hibernian.

Prior to the Rovers match, Mark Robson’s men had suffered heavy defeats on the road at Birmingham City (5-1) in the Capital One Cup and Port Vale (3-0).

Robson made four changes for the Bristol Rovers game but is still expected to be without former Sheffield United striker Steve Kabba against the Minstermen due to a knee injury.

Barnet have won just one of their last ten League fixtures at home – a 4-0 walloping of AFC Wimbledon in the penultimate match of last season.

That victory, coupled with a 2-1 triumph at Burton, saw the North London outfit finish the campaign with two consecutive wins after Martin Allen had been drafted in as caretaker boss for the final three weeks.

Prior to those results, Barnet had gone nine matches without a win.

Allen has since departed for Gillingham and been replaced by former West Ham team-mate Mark Robson, who had been working as a coach at Peterborough.

The former Tottenham and Upton Park midfielder is expected to field six of his summer signings against the Minstermen in right-back Barry Fuller, centre-half Jonathan Fortune, left-back Jordan Brown, midfielder Curtis Weston, winger Anthony Edgar and striker Jon Nurse.

Barnet (probable): Stack, Fuller, Saville, Fortune, Brown, Yiadom, Byrne, Weston, Edgar, Holmes, Nurse.