Pre Season Friendly, Monday 22nd July
My fourth pre season outing of the new season saw me over at a very sunny Melbourne Stadium for a contest between Vanarama National South Chelmsford City & Vanarama National League Barnet as both sides continue to build up towards their league campaign that starts on August 10th.
Both sides had similar disappointing losses in the play offs at the end of last season, The Clarets lost out in dramatic fashion to Essex rivals Braintree Town at home in the play off semi finals, whereas Barnet were thumped at home in their play off semi final by Solihull Moors, meaning both missed out on a chance of promotion, so no doubt their ambitions were to go one better this time around.
Barnet were the ones to have the first real chances of the contest, Rhys Browne saw a close range effort brilliantly saved by Ted Collins in the City goal, before ex Claret Jermaine Francis also saw a close range effort brilliantly saved by Collins, City then had chances of their own before the half was out, Bees keeper Nick Hayes making a decent stop from Charlie Ruff after the keeper had given the ball away initially, before Callum Watts forced a decent stop from Hayes with the follow up effort from Ryan Blackman going off target.
And just before the break Kalala curled a decent effort just wide of the far post, which meant the half would end goalless.
Barnet then saw a Finlay Wilkinson effort flash wide of the Chelmsford goal early in the second period, but just past the hour mark it was the hosts who got their noses in front when after Sam Oguntayo had seemingly misplaced a pass down the left, he managed to fool the defender by doing so and ran onto this own ball before crossing into the box for Kane Crichlow to rise and power home a header beyond Hayes.
The Bees thought they had responded when an effort from the right was palmed across goal by Collins where the visitors prodded home at the far post, but the assistants flag had gone up, meaning the goal was chalked off, and after City had seen an effort saved by Hayes, Barnet did find a legitimate leveller, and it was a pretty decent leveller too.
In the 77th minute a lovely move down the right resulted in a ball into the box finding Browne who controlled before firing in an unstoppable effort beyond Collins into the top corner of the net, prompting applause from both sets of fans who had turned up to watch this one, and with neither side able to find a winner in the remaining time left. the game ended in a draw.
No doubt another ninety minutes for both sides to find out more about themselves as their build up to the new season continues.
Full time Chelmsford City 1 Barnet 1
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