Sutton end 2024 on the road, with a trip to title contenders Barnet to close out the year.

The Opposition

Barnet have been a side on a mission under manager Dean Brennan, and will no doubt be another difficult test for the U’s come Boxing Day.

After an eight-year spell in the Football League came to an end in 2013, the Bees have spent much of their recent history in the National League, aside from a three-year stint back in League Two between 2015 and 2018. Since then though, Barnet have largely stagnated under a whole host of different managers, with Brennan becoming the seventh permanent manager to take charge at The Hive in three years. John Still had taken the mantel from previous boss Martin Allen, and would precede stints for Darren Currie, Peter Beadle, Tim Flowers and Harry Kewell, who were all unable to mount a serious promotion push while in the Barnet hotseat.

However, the arrival of Brennan in 2021 has sparked a huge change in fortunes for the Bees, who have subsequently enjoyed a fifth and second place finish under his leadership. This is a stark contrast to the previous two finishes of 18th and 22nd, with the latter only seeing them remain in the fifth tier due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An unlikely chance of opportunity, Barnet have gratefully accepted and have continued to build what is considered one of the best squads in the division. Spearheaded by top scorer Nicke Kabamba, the Bees have assembled an extremely talented, but experienced squad, with the likes of former Boreham Wood loanee Zak Brunt keeping things ticking over in midfield alongside Mark Shelton and Anthony Hartigan, while Nikola Tavares and Adebola Oluwo have held down the fort at the back, allowing the likes of Ryan Glover, Rhys Browne and Idris Kanu to threaten on the flanks.

As a result, the Bees currently sit second in the division with just goal difference separating them from leaders York City, and Sutton will ultimately be looking to end a run of eight games unbeaten on Boxing Day.

Recent Form

Barnet 1-1 FC Halifax Town

Barnet 4-1 Ebbsfleet United

Barnet 2-0 Aveley

Hartlepool United 0-0 Barnet

Yeovil Town 1-2 Barnet

Barnet 2-0 Woking

The Manager

Dean Brennan

Former forward Dean Brennan arrived in the Barnet dugout back in 2021, and has been the architect of a huge change in fortunes at The Hive since his inception.

Towards the end of a 13-year playing career, Brennan joined Hemel Hempstead Town in 2010, and was appointed as caretaker manager at the age of just 29 after the sacking of Gary Phillips.

He would later move to Dunstable Town at the start of the 2011/12 season as a player/coach, and even managed the side in cup ties before returning to Hemel at the end of the season, this time as their permanent manager. He guided the Tudors to their highest ever finish, with a fourth place finish in the Southern League Premier Division seeing them qualify for the play-offs, losing 5–4 on penalties against Gosport Borough, but they would find themselves in the Conference South sooner rather than later, winning the Southern Premier League by ten clear points the following season.

The Tudors would establish themselves in the sixth tier, with a respectable ninth place finish being followed by narrowly missing out on the play-offs in 2015/16, as Whitehawk pipped them on the final day to fifth place.

A successful six years at Vauxhall Road would come to an end in 2018 with stints at Billericay Town, Kingstonian and Wealdstone following, and alongside current Notts County boss Stuart Maynard, guided the latter to the National League South title in 2020/21.

After initially turning down an approach from Barnet, Brennan would eventually move to The Hive as Head of Football, before replacing Harry Kewell in the hotseat a few months later. Having initially taken on the role as caretaker, the Republic of Ireland-born made the role permanent in February 2022, and has subsequently guided the Bees to a rapid rise up the division, with a fifth and second place finish seeing the club mount their first serious promotion push since their relegation from League Two back in 2018.

One to Watch

Nicke Kabamba

Experienced striker Nicke Kabamba has been a revelation since arriving at The Hive in 2022, and has established himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in all of non-league.

Born in Brent, Kabamba scored 13 goals for Hayes & Yeading United’s Under-18’s and later joined Uxbridge, preceding a free-scoring stint at Burnham during the 2014/15 campaign. He would later move on loan to Hemel Hempstead Town and Hampton & Richmond Borough, making the move to the latter permanent after just a few months at the Beveree Stadium. He would end the season as top scorer with 18 goals and contributed to the Beavers’ promotion to the National League South, with his goalscoring form earning a move up two divisions when he joined League Two side Portsmouth.

Loan spells at Colchester United and Aldershot Town followed before departing Fratton Park permanently ahead of the 2018/19 season, moving to Havant & Waterlooville. He would return to full-time professional football midway through the campaign, moving on loan to fellow National League side Hartlepool United, and he would rediscover his goalscoring form in the North-East with five goals in his first four starts. He would end his loan spell with seven goals in 17 appearances before making the move permanent, and this preceded a move to the Scottish Premiership midway through the 2019/20 season, joining Kilmarnock and scoring on his debut in a 6-0 win over Queen’s Park.

He later returned to England with a stint at Northampton Town, joining Barnet after a brief loan spell at Woking. It has been his stint at The Hive which has seen him maintain his goalscoring form, scoring 56 goals in just over 100 appearances, and includes another ten so far this season in just 14 appearances.

Last Time We Met

National League strugglers Barnet signed off the 2020/21 season with victory over champions Sutton at The Hive.

Sutton were given a guard of honour by Barnet as the players walked out onto the pitch, but there was little action at either end during a low-key first half.

The deadlock was eventually broken on the hour when Harry Taylor’s cross was deflected onto the post, apparently off Aaron Simpson, and collected by Sutton goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis – but the assistant referee signalled the ball had crossed the line.

Barnet midfielder Ephron Mason-Clark saw his shot come back off the crossbar, as did Sutton’s Adam Lovatt at the other end, before Bees substitute Josh Walker added a second goal in stoppage time.

Head-to-Head

Barnet 2-0 Sutton United (29/05/2021)

Sutton United 1-0 Barnet (27/04/2021)

Sutton United 1-1 Barnet (06/08/2019)

Sutton United 0-0 Barnet (19/02/2019)

Barnet 0-1 Sutton United (09/02/2019)

Barnet 0-2 Sutton United (06/12/1969)

Barnet 3-0 Sutton United (30/11/1946)

Played for Both

Joe Kizzi

Joe Kizzi had spent a successful three years with Sutton, before moving to Barnet last summer.

The London-born defender had spent time at Eton Manor, Enfield 1893, Waltham Abbey, Cheshunt, Wingate & Finchley, Billericay Town and Bromley, before signing for newly promoted Football League club Sutton ahead of the 2021/22 campaign. He would go on to appear almost 150 times for the club, with his performances in his debut season seeing him named as the Players’ Player of the Year.

Kizzi would play a crucial role in the U’s play-off push and run to the EFL Trophy Final where he played all 120 minutes, and continued his form into the following two campaigns at Gander Green Lane, winning the Supporters’ Club Player of the Year award at the end of the former.

Following relegation last season, Kizzi opted to move closer to home and subsequently made the switch back towards North London, making 12 appearances for Barnet so far this season.