Barnet 3-1 Salford: Brennan's Frustration Over Late Goal

Barnet launched their League Two season with a statement win – and a manager still simmering at full-time.

Dean Brennan watched his side dismantle Salford 3-1 at The Hive, dominate for long spells, and score three well-crafted goals. Then they switched off. One lapse, one consolation, and the clean sheet vanished in the 90th minute.

For Brennan, that mattered.

“It’s a good start but I’m annoyed not to keep a clean sheet,” he said, frustration cutting through the post-match glow. “When it comes to the real detail, we should have won the game by four clear goals.”

Barnet had already done the heavy lifting long before Salford captain Adebola Oluwo’s late header spoiled the numbers.

Oisin Gallagher set the tone after 24 minutes, finishing the first big chance of the afternoon to give the hosts a deserved lead. Barnet were sharper, quicker into duels, more purposeful with the ball. Salford struggled to live with the tempo.

The second goal underlined that control. Charlie Lakin struck before half-time, and Barnet walked down the tunnel two up, fully in command and playing like a side intent on more than just survival this season.

After the break, the pattern barely changed. Salford tried to climb into the contest, but Barnet carried the greater threat. The pressure eventually told again as Kabongo Tshimanga added a third late on, a goal that reflected the home side’s superiority and should have wrapped up a near-perfect afternoon.

Almost.

“My team went mad last year for conceding silly goals and we dropped so many points in leading positions,” Brennan reminded everyone. The memory clearly lingers.

Salford hit the post in the closing stages, a warning Barnet didn’t fully heed. Oluwo’s goal arrived on 90 minutes, too late to change the result but early enough to rile the 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,” Brennan said. The message was blunt: standards do not drop at 3-0.

One new arrival did earn his praise. Goalkeeper Matthew Cox impressed on debut, not just with his handling but with his distribution.

“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 performance hinted at a Barnet side with ambition, yet Brennan is still pushing for more reinforcements before the transfer window closes.

“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 walked off with three points and a mild reprimand, Salford left with something heavier: doubt and disappointment.

Inside their dressing room, the mood was raw.

“There is a lot of hurt and disappointment within the four walls of the changing room,” said head coach Peter Cklamovski. “It’s a bad performance and that sort of performance gets you these results.”

Salford were second best for most of the afternoon. Cklamovski did not sugar-coat it.

“Credit to Barnet, they turned the game into their style and we didn’t handle those elements, both direct balls and second balls,” he said.

The visitors did rally after the break. They pushed higher, chased the game, and eventually forced that late goal. For Cklamovski, the reaction must now stretch beyond 45 minutes.

“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,” he said. “We earn the right to perform better and play our football and turn words like ambition into reality.”

His verdict on the display cut to the core of Salford’s early-season ambitions.

“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 momentum and a manager demanding perfection. Salford leave with a warning shot ringing in their ears. How both teams respond from here will tell us whether this was just an opening-day jolt – or the first clear sign of where their seasons are heading.