Barnet Defeats Salford 3-1 in League Two Opener

Barnet opened their League Two season with a statement win, but Dean Brennan walked off the pitch irritated rather than elated.

His side dismantled Salford 3-1 at The Hive, played with purpose, scored three well-crafted goals – and still managed to rile their manager by switching off at the death.

Oisin Gallagher settled any early nerves after 24 minutes, striking first to tilt the game Barnet’s way. From there, the hosts grew in confidence and authority. They pressed higher, snapped into challenges, and pushed Salford back towards their own box.

The pressure told again before the interval. Charlie Lakin arrived to double the lead, and by half-time Barnet looked in complete control, sharper in every duel and far more decisive in the final third.

Salford never truly escaped that stranglehold. Kabongo Tshimanga’s late third underlined the gulf between the sides on the day and had home fans already filing the result under “perfect opening day”.

Final Score: Barnet 3 - 1 Salford

Not for Brennan.

"It's a good start but I'm annoyed not to keep a clean sheet," he said, frustration cutting through the post-match glow. For him, the damage came in stoppage time, when Salford captain Adebola Oluwo climbed to pull one back in the 90th minute.

That goal changed nothing on the scoreboard that really mattered. It changed plenty in Brennan’s mood.

"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," he said. "My team went mad last year for conceding silly goals and we dropped so many points in leading positions."

The warning signs were there even before Oluwo’s header. Salford hit the post late on, a reminder that Barnet’s grip had loosened just enough to worry their manager.

"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."

That edge, that refusal to let standards slip with the game seemingly won, is what Brennan wants to hard-wire into this group. The scoreline flattered Salford; the late concession still nagged at him.

One new arrival escaped the criticism. Brennan reserved praise for goalkeeper Matthew Cox, who impressed on debut.

"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."

Even after such a convincing victory, Brennan’s mind was already moving to the next step. The squad, he feels, is not complete.

"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."

While Barnet dissected a near-perfect win, Salford were left to pick through a flat, disjointed performance that hardly matched their promotion talk.

Inside their dressing room, the mood was bleak.

"There is a lot of hurt and disappointment within the four walls of the changing room," said Salford boss Peter Cklamovski. "It's a bad performance and that sort of performance gets you these results."

Salford struggled with Barnet’s directness and intensity all afternoon. They lost first balls, then lost the seconds as well, and never truly imposed their own style.

"Credit to Barnet, they turned the game into their style and we didn't handle those elements, both direct balls and second balls," Cklamovski admitted.

Only in the second half did Salford show any real fight. By then, the mountain was steep and the damage largely done.

"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," Cklamovski said. "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."

Barnet leave with three goals, three points and a manager demanding more. Salford leave with a sore reminder that promotion campaigns are not built on words, but on afternoons like this – and how quickly you respond to them.