Football Bet of the Day: Bees can pile misery on Spitfires

The upcoming international break will not bring a stop to non-league action, and we should be in for an intriguing battle in the National League when Barnet face Eastleigh. Barnet are second in the fifth tier of English football - a point ahead of third-placed Bromley and an incredible 24 points behind runaway leaders Chesterfield - and should be able to take all three points against a struggling Eastleigh side.

However, recent performances would suggest that the Bees will not have an easy time of things at The Hive. Eastleigh were subject to widespread media attention earlier this season after going on a remarkable FA Cup run, defeating League One Reading en route to the third round, but this may have hampered their league exploits, with the Spitfires lying dangerously close to the relegation zone. Kick-off 19.45, Tuesday March 19.

Barnet to win and Both Teams to Score @ 13/8

The reverse fixture in August was a captivating encounter for the neutrals watching on, with neither side able to claim the victory in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

Barnet romped to a 3-0 lead at the Silverlake Stadium after just 30 minutes, with an Idris Kanu brace either side of a Danny Collinge strike giving the Bees what looked to be an unassailable lead.

Paul McCallum brought hope for Kelvin Davis’ men just before halftime, but Scott Quigley halved the deficit with under 30 minutes to go. In injury time, McCallum scored his second to level the game, sending the home fans into raptures.

 While the excitement levels are unlikely to reach the same heights as the first meeting this season, this still has the makings of a tight encounter.

Barnet’s last three home fixtures have ended 2-0, with the Bees on the right side of this scoreline on two occasions, while Dean Brennan’s side have also kept four clean sheets at the Hive across their last seven fixtures here.

However, the Spitfires have rarely been stopped in front of goal in recent weeks, with the Hampshire outfit finding the back of the net in 11 of their last 13 trips on the road in all competitions, including at League Two Newport County in the FA Cup third round.

Eastleigh striker McCallum tops the scoring charts in the National League with 30 goals, and the Spitfires are the second-top scorers in the bottom half of the table. However, their defensive woes have cost them points on several occasions, conceding at least three goals in each of their last two league fixtures, a 3-3 draw with Solihull Moors and a 4-1 loss to Rochdale, respectively.

Another stern defensive test is expected for Eastleigh and Barnet have already shown that they have the quality required to see out victories but with the league’s top scorer in their ranks, the Spitfires should once again have no trouble in grabbing another consolation goal.

Match odds; Barnet 1/4, Draw 9/2, Eastleigh 15/2

Football bet of the day, from Betfred Insights.