Dean Brennan and Steve Bruce don’t hold back after absolute howlers at Barnet and Blackpool on Saturday afternoon.
The Bees’ return to League Two after seven years ended in a home defeat to Fleetwood Town. Despite a strong start, a mistake by goalkeeper Owen Evans gifted Fleetwood’s Will Davies the opening goal.
Elliot Bonds then made it 2-0 Fleetwood early in the second half. Barnet’s Danny Collinge had a goal disallowed and hit the post late, but they couldn’t find get on level terms.
An absolute HOWLER from Barnet goalkeeper Owen Evans gifts Fleetwood Town the opener! 🫣 pic.twitter.com/uxY1D2haAa
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 2, 2025
Barnet head coach Dean Brennan said to BBC Radio London: “He [Owen Evans] has to own that [performance], that’s down to him.
“He missed all of pre-season with a lot of messing in the summer with his contract, with joining us.
“So when you miss pre-season and you are rusty you’re going to do stupid things like that.
“At the end of the day he’s put that performance in, not me. Their goalkeeper made saves when he had to.”
Brennan questioned whether some of his players were up to the challenge of playing in the Football League.
“I can’t wait for the key players to come back,” he continued.
“It’s great to have [Callum] Stead back, that’s a massive positive from the game.
“Maybe this is a bridge too far for one or two of them, maybe I have to look at that.”
Brennan added that he and his staff and players would not be having a day off, and instead they will all be in to analyse the performance on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Fleetwood boss Pete Wild told BBC Radio Lancashire said: “On his [Will Davies] Football League debut at 26 it’s a fantastic day for him in terms of the goal.
“But I’m really pleased, their goalkeeper had done that two or three times and got away with it.
“So I’m really pleased that we were front-footed and worked on our press, stayed high and we took our opportunity.”
It was 3-2 defeat for Blackpool, Jamie Reid scored twice and Dan Kemp gave Stevenage their first-ever victory at Bloomfield Road.
Blackpool were ahead on 6 minutes, when George Honeymen pounced on Jordan Houghton’s error.
An under-hit back pass from Fraser Horsfall, Reid converting a controversial penalty awarded against Michael Ihiekwe for handling Carl Piergianni’s header and Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s poor clearance and crossed for Kemp to fire in off the crossbar after 50 minutes.
Striker Niall Ennis got Blackpool’s second 11 minutes from the end, Stevenage held on to all three points.
“It’s disappointing, and it’s the manner of it,” Blackpool boss Steve Bruce said, per Blackpool Gazette.
“We’ve gifted them the game. It’s hard enough to score a goal. To make one mistake is fair enough, but three on the opening day of the season.
“I thought the supporters were terrific, it was great to see the crowd fill that end, but we then shot ourselves in the foot which is frustrating.
“As a team we didn’t defend well enough last year, but today we did apart from the three mistakes. The one thing you can’t eradicate is mistakes – but the good players don’t make them.
“It’s a worry for me because it was our Achilles heel last year. We gave poor goals away and Stevenage didn’t have to do much as we gifted them the three goals with something you wouldn’t see on a school pitch.
“I couldn’t fault their effort or endeavour, especially with the way they kept at it. We’ve scored two goals at home but not defended well enough.
“Scoring wasn’t a problem last year and we look capable of being a threat again but we can’t make mistakes in the way we’ve made them today and gift them the match really.
“They had a shot after a minute, and that’s the only one on target they had apart from the three we gifted them.
“We’ve made basic errors which have cost us. We have to concentrate better, we can’t keep making mistakes like that otherwise we’ll never progress.”
Steve Bruce on today’s narrow defeat. 📽️
🍊 #UTMP | @sbk pic.twitter.com/XKb9AoxZX2
— Blackpool FC (@BlackpoolFC) August 2, 2025
There was plenty of reaction on Twitter as Dean Brennan and Steve Bruce don’t hold back after absolute howlers at Barnet and Blackpool…
@danisawolf: Owen Evans is an absolute horrendous goalkeeper
@Nick_Kay: You are a goal keeper in league 2. Just f*cking get it forward and play in the opponents half.
@Sports_philli: Right there! Modern football in all its pitiful awfulness
@tommytaylor2250: Just hoof it 🤣🤦♂️
@LloydKie: This is the shit that ruins football can’t stand the way the game is played nowadays
@pauldiamond974: Fucking hoof the thing! 🤦🏼♂️ Too much focus on what Keepers do with their feet. Save it, catch it & kick it! 👍🏼👌🏻
@StuartBrookes: Owen Evans with a howler – you’d never have guessed that was coming would you 😂🤦♂️
@wondermanduke: Glad to see some of our ‘fans’ are back, Peacock Farrell played 1 game, yes at fault for the 3rd goal but didn’t do much else wrong (although without much else to do). Horse and Ihiekwe both at fault for other goals but not getting the grief.
@AdamT1875: I see that Blackpool fans have already fallen in love with Peacock-Farrell 🤣🤣🤣
@9_Hendo: See Peacock-Farrell had a typical game on his Blackpool debut. Hope Bruce has a decent number 2 because he’s gonna need to step in. BPFs confidence is completely shot and is a liability
@Bluenose_Andy: Bailey Peacock-Farrell clanger, giving the ball away to the attacker 🤷♂️
@jonnyb7713: Peacock Farrell back to Brum ASAP absolutely shite
@theliammayo: Birmingham fans were absolutely right. Peacock Farrell is a walking fucking disaster. Absolutely shocking recruitment in the goalkeeper department this summer.
@alfie_ftbl_: @BCFC want Farrell back ?
@louorns: I feel sorry for people who backed money on Blackpool to get top six. They’re not getting anywhere near it if Bailey Peacock-Farrell is the starting keeper. I have no idea how he keeps getting these moves
