Barnet FC
Dorking Wanderers
Barnet struck six scintillating goals to see off relegation-threatened Dorking Wanderers, with goals from Callum Stead, Gaitlin O'Donkor, Nicke Kabamba, Dale Gorman and Zak Brunt.
The Wanderers came into the game winless in four matches, with their last win coming at the start of the month against league leaders and now, title-winners, Chesterfield.
The Bees opened the deadlock within ten minutes after Dale Gorman was fouled in the area. Nicke Kabamba stepped up, placing his shot perfectly beyond Harrison Male from the spot.
Gaitlin O'Donkor doubled the scoreline for the Bees, after a clearance from Male found the Oxford United loanee, and he was able to fire past the 23-year-old goalkeeper.
As a temporary hailstorm lashed down at a once-sunny Hive Stadium, some intelligent link-up play between Nicke Kabamba and Callum Stead found an opening for the latter, who added a third.
Stead found a second for himself seven minutes later, with a precise shot across goal beating an outstretched Male.
With nine minutes remaining from full time, Dale Gorman added to the scoresheet, firing an effort from close range after some excellent work from substitute Jordan Cropper.
Zak Brunt added a sixth in the dying embers of the match, finishing beautifully across goal and past a helpless Harrison Male.
Dorking now sit in 23rd, and with only five games to go, will need to throw everything into getting a result against playoff-hopefuls Bromley on Friday.
As for Barnet, they have stretched their lead on Bromley up to four points, and have an important broadcast fixture away against Solihull Moors, before returning to play Oxford City on Monday.
Story of the match
Dean Brennan told VAVEL that he was 'delighted that he could have the key players - the likes of Gorman and Collinge' back in the starting XI, playing their second game after returning from long-term injuries.
He made only one change from the Eastleigh tie, with Adam Thompson dropping out due to injury, and England C international Callum Stead returning to the lineup.
Marc White made a brave decision to change formation in anticipation of Barnet's traditional back-three, making two alterations with Barry Fuller and Bobby-Joe Taylor making way for Joe Cook and George Francomb.
The hosts started positively in front of over 2500 fans on Non-League Day, with Jerome Okimo's long ball finding Gaitlin O'Donkor in front of the Dorking backline. The 19-year-old was quick to react, but Cook recovered well to clear for a corner.
The resulting corner kick wasn't as deadly, but Josh Taylor was adjudged to have left his foot in an unnaturally high position and subsequently brought down Dale Gorman in the penalty area.
Referee Callum Walchester was delayed in his response, but pointed to the spot. Top-scorer Nicke Kabamba elected to take the penalty, and he fired comfortably into the bottom-right corner to take the lead.
The Bees had clearly found a weakness in Marc White's side, and almost exploited it again moments later. A long ball from Reece Hall-Johnson found O'Donkor yet again, but this time he was brought down by Joe Cook before he could reach the box.
The following free-kick forced a superb double save from Harrison Male, who parried Kabamba's initial attempt and denied O'Donkor's follow-up from close range.
However, the relentless attacking from Barnet was rewarded in the 21st minute. Another long ball in search of Kabamba forced Male to rush out and clear, but his clearance was only as far as O'Donkor. With Male way off his line, O'Donkor was able to calmly slot the ball past the former England U17 international and double the deficit.
Male was called into action yet again to prevent a third goal in quick succession, tipping Kabamba's goal-bound effort onto the crossbar.
Evidently frustrated by his team's lacklustre performance, Marc White opted for an early double substitution with Cook and Alfie Rutherford taken out of action.
The substitutes were to no proper avail, as Callum Stead joined in on the action on the half-hour mark. The former Brackley Town forward played into Kabamba, who fed the ball back to Stead, who put the ball into the back of the net.
Stead provided a second and fourth for Barnet only seven minutes later, collecting the ball from O'Donkor and placing his attempt into the bottom right corner.
The 24-year-old now has 11 goals in his debut season in the National League,, only bettered by Kabamba's 19 for the Bees.
The visitors did start to find their feet in the final five minutes of the first half, with a string of set pieces, but Jason Prior's shot into the side netting was the only highlight.
With one minute remaining of the seven added on, a poor back pass from a Dorking defender was taken advantage of by Kabamba, but his snapshot was saved excellently by Male.
Despite Dorking starting off more positively in the second half, the first 15 minutes were flat, with Barnet dropping the tempo and the visitors failing to create opportunities.
The Wanderers were given a clear-cut opportunity after Jerome Okimo made a meal out of a long ball over the top, and with Walker struggling to claim it, Ben Coker managed to block Prior's effort off the goal line.
With 15 minutes of regular time to go, Dorking did manage to get the ball into the back of the net, albeit flagged for offside. Substitute Jimmy Muitt cut in from the right wing and unleashed a curling effort which was parried by Laurie Walker, and the rebound fell to Prior, but he was adjudged to be in an offside position.
The Bees made matters worse with captain Dale Gorman joining in on the action. Jordan Cropper was able to leave his marker stranded, and the former Grimsby Town man found Gorman in the box to fire off a Dorking defender and into the back of the net.
Attacking midfielder Zak Brunt added a sixth and final goal with only seconds left in added time. A one-two with Idris Kanu left Brunt with a shooting opportunity, and the 22-year-old slotted the ball exquisitely into the corner of the net.
The full-time whistle saw a real sense of optimism brewing at the Hive, with Dean Brennan and the fans celebrating with the trademark fist-bump celebration, hoping to go two steps further than they could last season and secure promotion back to the Football League.
