Wealdstone and Barnet will both be fighting tooth and nail for three points on Saturday in a potentially pivotal clash in terms of shaping the National League's playoff picture.

The hosts head into the encounter six points outside of the top seven positions, while victory for Barnet would see them take a giant step towards securing their place in the playoffs.

Match preview

This match would always carry importance in any circumstances, with Barnet widely viewed as Wealdstone's fiercest rivals. This meeting also holds the distinction of being the first-ever televised match in the UK, with the BBC showing part of a clash between the two clubs in October 1946.

However, Saturday's rendition of this ongoing battle is a particularly significant one, with successive defeats in Wealdstone's last two matches hugely harming their chances of making the fifth tier's playoffs for the first time in the club's history.

The nature of their losses have been of particular concern, with playoff rivals Chesterfield Town and relegation contenders Scunthorpe United both scoring four goals past Stuart Maynard's side.

All is not lost for Wealdstone yet, though, with Saturday's clash against their local rivals at Grosvenor Vale potentially providing a perfect tonic to their poor form and playoff hopes.

Barnet, meanwhile, are enjoying a surprisingly strong season having flirted with relegation in each of the previous two campaigns.

Dean Brennan, who will have added incentive to beat Wealdstone on Saturday having managed them between 2019 and 2021 before joining the Bees four months later, has hugely improved the club's fortunes, helping them move eight points clear of their forthcoming opponents in the table.

As such, an away win this weekend would move them at least nine points clear of the chasing pack outside the top seven positions, although Barnet will want to finish as high as possible in order to play fewer games in their attempts to return to the EFL.

Indeed, this season marks their fifth one since suffering relegation from League Two in 2018, so Brennan will be aware of how much promotion would mean to the club's coffers and fanbase in equal measure. In the meantime, though, he and his players must focus on the job at hand in nearby Ruislip.

Team News

Maynard could opt to shake things up for Wealdstone having been thrashed in successive matches, with Mason Barrett, Ashley Charles and Corie Andrews all hoping for starts after appearing from the bench last time out.

Given that they have otherwise enjoyed a highly respectable campaign, though, the 42-year-old is unlikely to have gone too hard on his players and will not want to make a dramatic amount of changes.

Barnet, meanwhile, may choose to go with the same starting XI that claimed a creditable 1-1 draw against automatic promotion contenders Notts County last weekend.

Idris Kanu will hope to get himself on the scoresheet once again after bagging a crucial equaliser on the stroke of half time.

Wealdstone possible starting lineup:
Howes; Barker, Barrett, Cook, Taylor; Whittaker, Ferguson, Dyer, Charles, Obiero; Olomola

Barnet possible starting lineup:
Walker; Cropper, Okimo, Potter, Pritchard; Gorman, Woods; Powell, De Havilland, Kanu; Kabamba

We say: Wealdstone 1-2 Barnet

Wealdstone appear to have hit a road block in their season having been humiliated in each of their last two matches, and we can envisage Barnet taking advantage to claim a hugely important victory against their rivals.

A win for the visitors would all but secure a playoff spot for them given the gap that it would create between them and their opponents in the table.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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