Town boss Paul Jewell spent his Saturday afternoon watching League Two Barnet’s 0-0 home draw with nine-man Accrington Stanley, the second time the Blues manager has watched the Bees this week. Jewell, who was at Barnet's Johnstone's Paint Trophy victory at Colchester on Tuesday, was almost certainly checking out the London club’s 24-year-old winger Mark Marshall.

The Jamaican has been watched by a number of sides after an impressive 2010/11 and was the subject of a bid from a club believed to be Charlton Athletic earlier in the week. Millwall, Crystal Palace and Notts County are also understood to be amongst the interested parties.

Barnet boss Lawrie Sanchez said that offer was well below what the Bees want for the 5ft 7in tall wideman but concedes that Marshall will ultimately move on: “Mark will play higher league football. In the Championship without doubt. Whether at the moment I’m not sure.

“Mark Marshall is an exciting player as are [Izale] McLeod and [Steve] Kabba. Our best players are always going to have people looking at them.

“Barnet have a long tradition of players coming through but also getting a top price for them. That is the main thing at the moment.

“Any manager would be disappointed to lose good players. You always want to work with good players and help players develop, which at this end of football is part and parcel of the game. But you want the players to go at the right time which suits both them and the club.”

Sanchez, speaking after the Bees’ 3-1 win at Colchester, said Marshall was aware of the interest in him and was pleased with the way he handled it: “To be fair to him his head was a bit all over the place before the game.

“But I said ‘you’re a professional and professionals have to play when their heads are full of different things’. I think he did that tonight and I am very proud of him.”

Marshall came through the ranks at non-league Carshalton, breaking into the first team in the 2005/06 season.

A spell in the Blue Square Premier with Grays Athletic followed after an unsuccessful trial with League One Yeovil Town.

Having spent a short spell with Eastleigh in 2008, Marshall moved into the Football League with Swindon where he spent two years — apart from a two-month loan spell at Hereford in 2009 — before being released and joining Barnet in the summer of 2010.

Last season, left-sided Marshall, who is contracted to the Bees until next June, scored seven goals in 49 starts and one sub appearance and has made nine starts so far this campaign without scoring.

Blues manager Jewell has said that he is keen to add attacking pace and youth to his squad on a number of occasions with another wideman understood to be amongst the players he is targeting.

Football League clubs can sign players on loan for up to 93 days - often with a view to future permanent moves - from Thursday.

Photo: Action Images

forensic_bloo added 17:15 - Sep 3 Sadly, his head sisn't seem to be in the right place this afternoon. A very quiet game listening to the commentary, and against 10 men for the second half. Added to which, he wont know how to play of a flat pitch. He's used to a slope.
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PhilTWTD added 17:22 - Sep 3 As our resident Barnet expert, what do you make of him generally Mr Forensic?
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jas0999 added 17:23 - Sep 3 Looking at the January window already then? Good plan. We don't want to be relying on loans.
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northernblues added 18:24 - Sep 3 saw him against Burnley and he seemed a proper little sulker, when he did'nt get the ball passed to him he threw himself about like a 2 year old. Did'nt work that hard at getting back either.
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arc added 18:25 - Sep 3 Phil, I read this paragraph "Having spent a short spell with Eastleigh in 2008, Marshall moved into the Football League with Swindon where he spent two years — apart from a two-month loan spell at Hereford in 2009 — before being released and joining Barnet in the summer of 2009" and thought "something doesn't add up"! According to wikipedia and soccerbase, he joined Barnet in 2010, which makes more sense

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PhilTWTD added 18:40 - Sep 3 Oops, meant 2010, fingers typed 2009. Amended.
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forensic_bloo added 19:05 - Sep 3 He can be a bit "sulky", as suggested above, however, he does have the ability to beat three men before putting over a cross that's too deep for anyone to get on the end of (Gus Uhlenbeek, anyone?) Having said that, at league two level, he's very good, league one he would survive, champiopship, I'm not so sure. Then again, perhaps Championship strikers are good enough to get on the end of his crosses and make something of them. The story is the Charlton offered £350k for him, which was turned down flat. Is he really worth a punt at nearer half a mill? Not so sure. Would love to see a Bee at Portman Road though La la la la la la la la la la la la la la

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PhilTWTD added 19:09 - Sep 3 Cheers Mr F. I take it there's not anyone else who might have been an alternative target?
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NorseBlue added 19:13 - Sep 3 I tell you what jas0999, why don't we send our three loans back, get no more loans in, and be so adrift at the bottom of the table by the time the January transfer window opens, that even if we persuaded Rooney & Vidic to join us, we wouldn't stay up? Good plan?
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ShropshireBluenago09 added 19:26 - Sep 3 Uhlenbeek was ace!
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fourth added 19:36 - Sep 3 Time to come HOME Paul. Concentrate on yr fine players and put your weight behind them. For example your excellent mid field New Zealander. Get your systems sorted out so that talented players can fit in without being left stranded by the lack of them. It's up to you now. Let's see concentration on fitness and placing ball to feet of talented scorers
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forensic_bloo added 19:45 - Sep 3 Phil, the alternative target would have been Izale McLeod (a better option in my opinion) however, he was suspended today. What he would not have been watching was the defense!
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Back_The_Boss added 19:58 - Sep 3 Thanks fb always good to get an opinion off someone who went to the game. I agree Izale Mcleod would be an excellent signing.
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Keaneish added 20:13 - Sep 3 Quite impressed with Richie from Swindon this afternoon if we're looking at wide players of this ilk. Looks fairly decent with both feet and is a decent crosser.
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PhilTWTD added 20:17 - Sep 3 Good to see ex-Town academy striker Alan Connell score twice in the Swindon game.
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churchmans added 23:02 - Sep 3 forensic blue- and back the boss you both tripping and must be used to watching pretty chit football,worse than we have been watching if you think IZALE MCLOUD is good and worth signing jees trust me fellow blues he's krap and not good enough for us churchmans speaker of TRUTH and FACT. the other guy i dont know never seen him play
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DutchTownFan added 07:24 - Sep 4 Know little about these players. A new winger with some good pace and crosses would be very tasty though. I take it PJ is lookin at Marshall with a view to signing perm in Jan, not signing him on loan?
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4everblue added 08:23 - Sep 4 Of course, he could just be taking a look at Barnet in case we're playing them next season........
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johnhazlebum added 08:45 - Sep 4 Perhaps Barnet are in the market for a new manager.
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GiveusaWave added 09:24 - Sep 4 Sam Cox seems to be possible. Perhaps a new centreback????? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Cox_(footballer) Small (only 5ft 5) but doesn't stop running
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Bergholtblue added 09:32 - Sep 4 Surely not McLeod? He has played at this level and has not been successful, that's why he is now with Barnet!
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forensic_bloo added 11:34 - Sep 4 McLeod has been plagued with injuries, and is only now getting getting a run of games and a chance to prove himself. That said, I think he's struggle at Championship level, although he looks too good to be at Barnet (the reason he's at Underhill is that the Bees were prepared to take a chance on an injured player, and pay for his surgery, which fortunately paid off) And I think we're missing the point a bit here, as Izale wasnt playing anyway.

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fifeblue added 18:26 - Sep 4 "was almost certainly checking out the London club's 24-year-old winger Mark Marshall" Good idea - we are a bit short of forwards.
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MaySixth added 22:01 - Sep 4 We don't need another Andy Drury.
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ErikaTractor added 00:25 - Sep 5 I second Maysixth Sounds like another Andy Drury
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