Mark Gelder
With another Tuesday night game, this week it is the rearranged fixture against Barnet from 3rd February. Narrowly escaping yet another postponement, Saturday's match against Bristol survived a 1:30 pitch inspection, when all photographs from the press team at the ground suggested a waterlogged pitch, with rain still pouring in the city centre. Luckily the rain held off for the game, and for the visiting fans on the open terrace.

United had several good attacking chances, however on-loan goalkeeper Michael Poke made some fine saves, and manager Mark McGhee considered his side had a decent penalty shout turned down, although the tv replay suggests Ryan Clarke cleared the ball before the Rovers' attacker fell over Clarke's outstretched arms. Nil-Nil was perhaps a fair point given the pitch conditions.

This now leaves the Us eight points behind the top six, and just two points clear in seventh place of the chasing pack, of which eight sides are within eight points. Whilst the automatic promotion spots look unfeasible, United will want to cement a play-off place, starting with the matches against Barnet and Macclesfield.

United have a perfect home record against the Bees: a 2-1 win last year with both United goals from James Constable; and a 2-0 win back in 2005 under Jim Smith, with Tcham N'Toya scoring both against a Barnet side featuring Simon Clist, Damien Batt, and current Gillingham manager Andy Hessenthaler.

United Team news
As expected, Batt returned to the defence last week, with Andy Whing moving forward into midfield. Whing tweeted after the Bristol game that he had broken his nose for the tenth time, however his determination meant he did not leave the field, despite United having one substitution left.

Simon Heslop may be nearing a return to fitness, and up front we can presumably expect James Constable, and two from three of Oli Johnson, Scott Rendell and Mehdi Kerrouche. In a Radio Oxford interview this morning, chairman Kelvin Thomas alluded to a game plan for breaking down defensive sides, and perhaps the match will see more of Liam Davis and Damien Batt making forays into the box on attacking runs.

Barnet news
Barnet are in 18th place on 33 points, nine clear of the drop. The Bees had a good January with four league wins against Bristol Rovers, Accrington, Northampton, and Crewe. Into February, and they lost against PDC's team in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy southern Final, before a draw away at Plymouth, and last week's defeat at Shrewsbury.

Top scorer (and the League's top scorer) is Izale McLeod with 17, who also has most shots with 88. Ricky Holmes has six, and ex United player Sam Deering even has two. Mark Hughes has 47 fouls with six yellows, and

Perhaps of most concern to Barnet is their ground situation. They have now given notice to leave at the end of the season, citing an uncooperative council. Underhill includes access at the Southern End, which is leased from the cricket club, but that runs out in a year. Also there is apparently a dispute over the right to use the access route down the side of the away terrace (which coincidentally the St John Ambulance and Scouts are apparently free to use). Perhaps more irksome is that Saracens rugby have been granted permission to relocate to the 60's Copthall athletics stadium (which Barnet FC have identified as a suitable ground for years), redeveloping it into a 10,000 capacity ground with community use.

Other news
Damien Batt's brother Shaun, a striker at Millwall, joins Crawley on a 36 day loan.

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