Town at Barnet for Second Pre-Season Friendly Wednesday, 13th Jul 2016 10:58 Town face League Two Barnet at their Hive ground this evening in their second friendly of pre-season (KO 8pm). Blues boss Mick McCarthy plans to field a different XI in each half against the Bees, as he did during Saturday’s 2-1 victory against Dublin side Shelbourne. McCarthy is hoping for a better quality pitch than the one at Tolka Park where he felt the grass was too long and not “conducive to the ball being moved quickly”. “Hopefully we’ll be playing on a flat even surface and we’ll be able to pass the ball a bit better,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m just glad to get back into playing games now.” The Blues are likely to take a squad similar to the one which was involved against Shelbourne. Striker Daryl Murphy returned to pre-season training yesterday having been given an additional two weeks off having been at the Euros with the Republic of Ireland. His Ireland international team-mate David McGoldrick missed Saturday’s game due to a sore hip flexor problem and again may not be risked this evening. Speaking on Saturday, McCarthy said the problem wasn’t anything too significant: “He’s just having to manage it. But nothing to be too concerned about, he’ll be fine.” Left-back Myles Kenlock was unable to make the trip to Ireland after picking up an ankle ligament injury in training at Playford Road and has been pencilled in for a return when Town travel to Cambridge United a week on Saturday. New signing Adam Webster travelled to Ireland but didn’t play against Shelbourne, however, McCarthy is hopeful that the centre-half will make the start of the season after suffering an ankle injury late on during 2015/16 while with Portsmouth. “He’s recovering from his ankle but he’s running now, he’s out on the grass," the Town boss said. "He’s been doing good work while we’ve been at Carton House. He’ll be fine, his fitness is going to be need working on. But he’ll be all right, he might be fit for the start of the season.” Midfielder Giles Coke missed the Ireland training camp as he is continuing his recovery after knee surgery at the end of last season and is a few weeks away from a return to action with the Blues hoping he'll be ready for the start of the season. Barnet manager Martin Allen is promising Town a tough evening and will be looking for his team to win, having beaten Cheshunt 5-1 away on Saturday. “As always with Mick McCarthy’s teams, they’re honest and hard-working,” he told Barnet’s official site. “Everybody knows if you play for Mick you’re a 100 per cent player. “They’ve got some quality, Championship level players. As always with these games everyone says the result’s not important but it is important to me. “I think Mick will be coming here knowing he’s going to get a good game, everyone will be 100 per cent, giving everything they’ve got to get a result.” Town won their only previous visit to Barnet's new home 1-0 in a pre-season friendly in the summer of 2013 when McGoldrick scored the only goal. Tickets to this evening’s game are £10 for adults and £5 for concessions and under-14s. Probable squad: Bialkowski, Gerken, Chambers, Emmanuel, Robinson, Knudsen, Digby, Berra, Smith, Malarczyk, Bishop, Bru, Skuse, Hyam, Dozzell, Douglas, McDonnell, Blanchfield, Stewart, McLoughlin, Patterson, Pitman, Sears, Murphy, Morris.
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