Brent won a pulsating, 13-goal thriller in this season’s opening Middlesex League fixture, beating the defending champions Barnet 8-5 at home.
Brent started strongly and went ahead in the 3rd minute when Kahil Francis scored directly from a free just inside the Barnet half that the Barnet goalkeeper could only palm into the roof of the net. Brent almost doubled their lead in the 6th minute when a fine run and cross from Rahul Bhundia was met powerfully by Felix Amoah, who was unlucky to see his header hit the woodwork. Barely a minute later Mason Spencer saw his corner kick sail directly into the roof of the net to make it 2-0 in the 7th minute.
Barnet rallied and pulled a goal back with a shot from the edge of the Brent penalty area that went in just under the crossbar in the 9th minute. The goal didn’t rattle Brent and they restored their two goal advantage within two minutes as Shammer Swaby saw his shot from just right of the Barnet 6 yard box go in at the near post.
Brent made it 4-1 on 20 minutes when Amoah was quickest to react to David Krupinski’s goal kick for Brent and ran towards the Barnet goal and lobbing the advancing Barnet goalkeeper from just inside the penalty area. Krupinski prevented Barnet from pulling a goal back with a fine block with his legs before Dominic D’Souza saw a shot saved in the six yard box after a cross from Swaby from the right of the Barnet goal.
Spencer almost scored again directly from another Brent corner with the ball headed off the line before Rahul Bhundia saw his effort clear the Barnet crossbar. Brent made it 5-1 in the 36th minute when D’Souza got the final touch with his head to a Spencer free kick.
Within four minutes of the restart, Amoah had made it 6-1 to Brent when he held off 2 defenders before unleashing a powerful shot from 20 yards that went in just under the Barnet crossbar. Barnet then scored four goals in 19 minutes to bring the score to 6-5 with 13 minutes still to play.
The visitors scored their second goal in the 48th minute when the ball was not cleared and Krupinski made two excellent saves before Barnet made it 6-3 in the 59th minute scoring at the far post from an acute angle. Just one minute later Barnet were awarded a penalty for a foul and scored to make it 6-4. Barnet were then awarded a further penalty in the 67th minute for another foul and made it 6-5.
With Barnet sensing a sensational second half comeback Brent scored their 7th goal of the game when Swaby saw his powerful strike hit the middle of the Barnet crossbar and when the ball fell to Francis he made no mistake with a well-placed shot just inside the Barnet left post. D’Souza scored his second and Brent’s 8th goal of an enthralling game running 10 yards with the ball after a Javarn Bernard pass from midfield before smashing the ball home with his left foot.