The Official Barnet Match Thread (12.30pm K/O)(Sponsored by early kick-offs "for all your low attendance needs")

Following the exhausting rollercoaster draw on the telly versus Crawley last Saturday evening, Gills find their sparkling brand of champagne football in televisual demand again, this time for a 12.30pm kick-off against League Two newbies, Barnet.

Gills attacking ambitions were hampered in our preparations last time out by the suspension of willing runner Elliot Nevitt and a knock that sidelined Seb Palmer-Houlden; both are expected to return to the squad tomorrow, alleviating some of the pressure on the lonesome Josh Andrews. Captain Armani Little is also unavailable, not adding to our options in the middle of the park, with McCleary and Jonny Smith's recent returns adding creativity and, more importantly, width to the side. The number of injuries and suspensions we've suffered in the last couple of months have prevented any meaningful continuity in selection or even formation, partially explaining our poor form in that period, so it would be nice if the footballing gods would allow GA and his team a bit of respite, preferably starting tomorrow lunchtime.

Tomorrow's opponents, Barnet, are back in the Football League for the first time since 2017-18 and they seem to be coping well after that prolonged absence, Dean Brennan' side currently sitting in 11th place. There were significant changes to their newly promoted squad during the summer, nine players were released and a further five sold with 12 permanent signings augmented with a further four inbound loanees. There's a couple of Gills-related names to keep an eye out for in the shape of Oli Hawkins and Emmanuel Osadebe, both of whom will be keen to unleash the "curse of the ex". In addition, there's the Bees recent signing to marshal, the dangerous Britt Assombalonga, still only 32 and whose transfer fees top £25 million over the course of a career that has seen him net 172 goals in 470 matches.

The Bees are four without a win in the league having climbed from the foot of the table after a poor start of three successive defeats to briefly breach the play-offs in mid-October following six wins from their next nine. Their away record is decent too, beating the Swine, Cheltenham, Crewe and Tranmere on the road so far, while we've not registered a home win since beating Notts County 1-0 on 13th September. Should we start like we did against Crawley...the mind recoils in horror.

It would appear that the people are voting with their feet in terms of these egregious early kick-off times, there remains just shy of 2000 tickets available in the home ends tomorrow, 211 of these for a Rainham End that has either sold out or been close to selling out for home fixtures this season. As for Barnet, they appear to have sold comfortably under 100 tickets for the short journey round the M25, it would appear a first trip to Priestfield since Boxing Day 2012 wasn't sufficient to entice the Bees fans out of hibernation.

Edit: Having just read their match thread it would appear I was a little harsh on the Barnet travelling support, they have shifted an entire block apparently, so around 250 tickets sold. It's still shit, but more a Type 4 ("smooth and soft") on the Bristol Stool Scale than the previously suggested Type 7, "entirely liquid".

This will be the 20th fixture between the two sides tomorrow, a surprisingly low figure until I remembered that Barnet only entered the Football League for the first time in 1991 under the madcap control of Stan Flashman and Barry Fry. The Bees lead the head to head by eight wins to seven, being a bit of a bogey side for us, especially at Priestfield where they have won on four of their last five visits, usually with Izale McLeod running riot up front.

For the highlights it's back to 2011/12 and a 3-1 home win in March of that season that kept us in the play-off hunt, goals from Dennis Oli, Jordan Obita and Charlie Lee turning round a half-time deficit in front of a disappointingly low attendance of just 3751.

Hopefully Gills can take last Saturday's second half performance forward into tomorrow, it's been over two months since the Priestfield faithful had a home win to cheer and with our attacking options appearing more bounteous than they have for some time it's the other end we need to concentrate on, Turner cannot be asked to be the hero for the third game in succession if we are to win. Anything other than three points will likely see us drop out of our current play-off berth come 5pm.

A normal kick-off time would have guaranteed me and the Juniors in attendance tomorrow, but with Junior Junior having her own game at 9.30am there's no way I could have driven down in order to make the ludicrous start time. Instead, I'll have to content myself with chucking 15 quid at NOW TV for the privilege of tuning in , an option a good number appear to be taking as evidenced by the lacklustre ticket sales. God only knows how fans of sides further up the pyramid put up with this nonsense every week. 3pm Saturday, 7.45pm Tuesday are the only true kick-off times. Fight me.

Enjoy the game if you're going, and...

COYG!!!