A brace by Kabongo Tshimanga succumbed Notts County to a 2-1 defeat by Barnet at Meadow Lane on Saturday.
The loss drops Notts to 5th in League Two; two points off the automatic promotion places having played a game more.
It was the visitors who stamped their intent on the game early doors. Callum Stead saw his effort flash wide within the first minute before Ryan Glover went close seven minutes later. At the other end former Barnet striker Lee Ndlovu was sent through on goal by Rod McDonald in the 12th minute but his shot was straight at goalkeeper Cieran Slicker.
The Bees took the lead through a delicate flick from Tshimanga in the 32nd minute. Glover’s low-driven cross was met by the Barnet forward who guided the ball beautifully beyond James Belshaw at the near post. But it was hero to zero for Glover just two minutes later as he brought down Ndlovu for a penalty to the Magpies. Jodi Jones converted with a beautiful left-footed strike into the bottom corner to equal affairs.
Both sides had good opportunities to take the lead on the stroke of half time. Ndlovu was slipped through by Matthew Dennis but Slicker was quick to rush out and smother the effort before Nnamdi Ofoborh saw his shot deflected wide after a poor clearance from the home side.
Tshimanga looked threatening all game and nearly gave his team the lead early in the second half. After being played through on goal superbly by Ofoborh, his off-balance shot met the face of the post. But the 28-year-old did not have to wait long to get his second goal of the game. Stead’s right-footed inswinging cross was toe poked home by Tshimanga in the 69th minute to net his seventh in his last six games.
And he could have had a hat-trick. Goalscoring defender of last week Lucas Ness was dispossessed, and with only the goalkeeper to beat Tshimanga could not keep his composure and saw his effort sail over the bar.
The hosts frustrated all second half. A late charge gave the home fans brief encouragement, but it was met with groans as Slicker’s goal was never threatened. As Tom Iorpenda’s long-range effort in the eighth minute of injury time blazed over, a sarcastic dive from the Bees’ ‘keeper was the final sting in the Magpies’ hopes.
It is back to back defeats for Notts County for the first time since August. With just two games remaining, they head to Colchester on Saturday April 25 with their aims of automatic promotion slipping away.
Teams
Notts County: Belshaw (GK), McDonald, Bedeau, Norburn (Hall 75′), Jones (Enoru 84′), Ness, Iorpenda, Palmer (C), Dennis (Luker 60′), Ndlovu, Bennetts (Kouhyar 60′)
Unused substitutes: Griffiths (GK), Grant, Macari
Yellow cards: Hall (90′)
Head Coach: Martin Paterson
Barnet: Slicker (GK), Senior, Stead, Kanu (Smith 60′), Glover (Jaiyesimi 86′), Hartigan (C) (Winterburn 80′), Shelton, Tshimanga, Crichlow-Noble, Tavares, Ofoborh (Chinedu 60′)
Unused substitutes: Evans (GK), Hawkins, Kizzi
Yellow cards: Senior (89′)
Head Coach: Dean Brennan
Referee: Tom Reeves
Attendance: 11,437
