Tranmere Rovers’ wait for a first victory over Barnet continues after the visitors produced an impressive second-half comeback to win 2-1 at Prenton Park.
Rovers looked well placed to make history when captain Will Vaulks gave them the lead with a brilliant first-half strike. But Barnet returned from the break looking like a different side. Kabongo Tshimanga scored twice, including a late penalty, before Joel Senior was sent off in a dramatic finish.
Tranmere started brightly, with Tom Ince at the heart of their early attacking play.
Ince showed some neat footwork inside the Barnet box after just two minutes, although his final effort failed to trouble goalkeeper Matthew Cox.
Barnet gradually settled into the game and began putting pressure on the Rovers defence through a series of corners.
But it was Tranmere who produced the first shot on target after 19 minutes. Dylan Jones drove into the penalty area before testing Cox with a well-struck effort.
A minute later, Barnet's Zac Williams received the first yellow card of the game following a challenge on Joe Ironside.
Then came the moment of the half.
In the 22nd minute, Tranmere captain Vaulks found space on the right side of the penalty area and unleashed a thunderous strike into the top corner.
It was a superb goal and one that brought Prenton Park to life.
Tranmere's full-backs Joel Senior and Jacob Slater were also having a good afternoon, dealing well with the attacking runs of Tom Knowles and Idris Kanu.
Barnet captain Danny Collinge briefly had to leave the pitch after suffering a cut to the head, while Tranmere continued looking for a second.
Charlie Whitaker went close in the 38th minute with an effort from the left that flew narrowly wide and was greeted with applause from the home support.
Barnet remained dangerous, however.
Kanu went down inside the Tranmere box in the 41st minute and appealed for a penalty, but referee Jamie Robinson waved away the claim.
Jones then threatened again at the other end with a low drive that went wide.
Tranmere went into half-time 1-0 ahead, having enjoyed the better of an entertaining opening 45 minutes.
Barnet turn the game around
Barnet manager Dean Brennan reacted at half-time with a double substitution.
Nnamdi Ofoborh and Romeney Crichlow-Noble replaced Tom Knowles and Zac Williams, and the changes had an immediate effect.
Barnet started the second half with far greater intensity.
Tshimanga should have levelled just three minutes after the restart when he found space inside the Tranmere box, but he sent his effort over the bar.
The visitors kept coming.
Charlie Lakin, in particular, became increasingly influential in midfield as Barnet took control of the game.
Their pressure finally paid off in the 55th minute.
Lakin's effort took a series of ricochets inside the area before falling kindly for Tshimanga, who reacted quickly to poke the ball home.
1-1.
Tranmere struggled to rediscover the rhythm they had shown before the break.
Jones did manage to break into the Barnet penalty area in the 61st minute, but Collinge produced an excellent piece of defending before the Tranmere attacker could get his shot away.
Darrell Clarke turned to his bench, with Ryan Watson replacing Jones. Watson immediately tried his luck from outside the box, only for his effort to take a deflection.
Further changes followed as David Kamara and Bobby Faulkner replaced Whitaker and Tom Conlon.
But Barnet continued to look the stronger side.
Tshimanga completes the comeback
The decisive moment arrived in the 86th minute.
Lakin, who had been one of Barnet's standout performers in the second half, was brought down inside the Tranmere penalty area.
The referee pointed to the spot.
Tshimanga stepped forward and calmly converted the penalty in the 87th minute, completing Barnet's turnaround and scoring his second goal of the afternoon.
Things then got worse for Rovers.
Senior, who had already been booked earlier in the half, received a second yellow card in stoppage time following a foul on Crichlow-Noble.
Tranmere were down to 10 men.
The match was then delayed for more than six minutes as Crichlow-Noble received treatment following the challenge. He was eventually unable to continue and was replaced by Jake Reeves.
Barnet held on when play resumed to complete an impressive comeback.
For Tranmere, it was a game of two very different halves. Clarke's side were the better team before the break, but Barnet's half-time changes shifted the momentum firmly in the visitors' favour.
Lakin was excellent after the restart, while Tshimanga provided the finishing touch with two goals.
For Rovers, Vaulks' spectacular opener ultimately counted for nothing as their search for a first victory over Barnet goes on.
Full-time: Tranmere Rovers 1-2 Barnet
League Two
Attendance: 6,198 (273 away)
A familiar face at Prenton Park
Away from the action, today's assignment also brought a reunion with Tranmere Rovers' media officer, a former course mate of mine at News Associates in Manchester.
