Preview: Harriers v Barnet

The curtain comes down on Harriers' home season this afternoon with the visit of league leaders Barnet.

After all of the end-of-season awards are handed out prior to kick off Harriers will aim to sign off their home programme with a win against a Barnet side who could clinch the title with the correct set of results this afternoon.

While Barnet can win the league the best that Harriers can hope for is to finish 11th, but need to win both of their remaining games to do so but as they have won just once in the last ten that currently seems unlikely.  Gary Whild is set to change the team around, fielding a more experienced side than of late.  Jordan Tunnicliffe has been recalled from Hednesford and Josh O'Keefe is set to play for the first time since the FA Cup defeat against Eastleigh in October.  Midfield will be a bit light again with Callum Gittings and James Fry joining Aman Verma in having their seasons ended by injury; Jack Byrne is set to return but his fragile hamstring could still be a problem for him.

For Barnet Michael Gash will be making his first return to Aggborough since leaving in January and he will be hoping to partner the league's top scorer John Akinde in attack.  The leaders have won five and drawn two of their last seven games and can take the title today if they win and Bristol Rovers lose at Dover.  Manager Martin Allen has a fully fit squad to choose from.

Earlier in the season Harriers battled back from a half-time 3-0 deficit to earn a draw, and probably should have gone on to win the game,  with goals from Gash and two from the also now departed Nathan Blissett.  Overall Barnet have the better record in meetings between the clubs with 11 wins to nine from 25 games played and six wins to four from 12 games played at Aggborough.

I expect Harriers to line-up as follows (4-2-3-1): Lewis; Hodgkiss, Nicholson, Tunnicliffe, Kelly; Byrne, O'Keefe; Green, Reid, Hughes; Wright.
Subs (from): Digie, Boyle, Obeng, Grimes, J. Singh, Spencer, Reffell, Maxwell, Asante, Forsyth, Harrison, Sweeney, Millichamp, Whitcombe.
Missing (injured): Fry, Verma, Gittings.
Missing (on-loan): Styche, Williams, Hales, G. Singh, Gowling.

Refereeing the game this afternoon is NIck Kinseley from Essex.  This will be his 12th time in charge of a Harriers game and first since the 6-0 defeat at Luton last season.  Overall he has been in charge of eight Harriers wins, one draw and two defeats.

The weather for this afternoon is forecast to be partly cloudy with a temperature of 1°6C and no chance of rain.