Times flies when you're having fun! Remarkably, this is the mid-point in our 7-match streak of home games, and we've enjoyed a trio of iconic victories so far. Barnet are in a much better state than they were when we beat them in October, though, and fans who witnessed that emphatic win at The Hive should expect a much stiffer test.
That game ended 3-0 to Phil Parkinson's side, with Paul Mullin, Shaun Brisley and Aaron Hayden all hitting the net. It was an impressive performance against a struggling Barnet side, but they've developed a great deal more resilience since then, as a recent 6-0 win over Dover showed.
Wrexham excellent form, of course, saw us clinch a place in the FA Trophy FInal on Saturday after halting Stockport's remarkable run of 20 wins in 21 games. That was our 10th win in 11 games, but with County still setting a relentless pace, there's no room to relax.
Barnet will be keen to resist though. One loss in the last 5 games, including 3 wins, signify and upturn in form and, with relegation not on the agenda, they will be able to approach this match with freedom.
A handsome 17 points separate The Bees from the drop zone, and to a great extent that's down to a terrific run of results following their 3-0 loss to Wrexham last October. They won 5 of their next 6 matches, kicking off with a 2-1 win at Stockport.
Bizarrely, their next 13 games featured just one victory, though, so their recent improvement has come as some relief. Last Saturday saw them draw 2-2 in an entertaining game at home to Yeovil Town. Having fallen behind early on, The Bees looked like they'd turned the game round but an 82nd minute goal meant they had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
HEAD TO HEAD
Wrexham go into this game on our best unbeaten run against Barnet, but don't be fooled into thinking recent clashes have gone our way. Indeed, our last 2 home clashes were both highly frustrating. Last season The Bees were decimated by illness and injury, but still dug in to frustrate Wrexham and emerge with a goalless draw.
The season before JJ Hooper gave us a third minute lead with a fine goal, but Barnet fought back to earn a 1-1 draw. Despite those frustrations, though, Barnet have struggled to find the net against Wrexham. We've only conceded 2 goals in our last 8 games against them, keeping 6 clean sheets in the process.
Our most recent home win over Barnet came in 2018, when coincidentally The Bees were again stricken by injuries. They put up a good fight, though, and Wrexham were grateful to Stuart Beavon for scoring the only goal in the first half.
We also won 1-0 in 2015, in notable fashion. Barnet won the league that season, but we managed to do the double over them, with Robbie EVans scoring the only goal on both occasions.
The Bees' most recent victory at The Racecourse was in March 2014, and their first National League game at Wrexham was decided by a familiar face. The infamous Edgar Davids'' short spell as Barnet manager had ended two months earlier, but future Red Dragon Jake Hyde was still at the club, and he struck the only goal.
We suffered a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to The Bees the last time they travelled to North Wales for a Football League game, in October 2007. The match was a seventh defeat in eight home games and formed part of a horrible run of eleven losses in thirteen games. No wonder we were relegated to the Conference at the end of the season!
Steve Watkin scored the only goal when the sides first met, in November 1991, but it was the man who was to establish himself as Watkin’s deadly strike partner who would go on to profit most from matches against The Bees.
Our biggest win in the fixture was a 4-0 triumph in September 1993, with Gary Bennett scoring two and Jonathan Cross and Barry Jones getting one each. Bennett (below) clearly enjoyed playing against The Bees, as he scored an injury time winner in the return fixture. With four goals, he’s our most prolific player in this fixture, one ahead of Mark Jones and two in front of Lee McEvilly.
Bennett also hit the net in Barnet’s most impressive result at The Racecourse. In September 1992, at the start of a season which would see both sides promoted, Barnet managed their first win in North Wales. Despite Bennett’s strike and another from Mickey Thomas, we had no real answer to Gary Bull, who within a couple of minutes of the start of the second half had registered the only hat trick scored by either side in this fixture.
The full list of Wrexham’s scorers against Barnet reveals some eclectic names though. Paul Warhurst, who was briefly with us on a short term contract, hit his only goal for us against The Bees, securing himself a place at number thirteen in the list of the oldest scorers in the club’s history and also earning himself a move…to Barnet! Also, on-loan strikers Robbie Foy and Matt Derbyshire struck against the side from North London before their career trajectories diverged significantly.
POTENTIAL MILESTONES
Jordan Ponticelli's 100th career appearance.