FLEETWOOD, England (Interstat) — Barnet delivered a stunning and emphatic statement to open its League Two season, routing Fleetwood Town 5-2 on Monday in a match that defied all pregame projections and was transformed by a pivotal red card just before halftime.

Playing at Highbury Stadium, the visitors from London seized control with a three-goal blitz in a devastating six-minute span either side of the break, capitalizing on the dismissal of Fleetwood defender Shaun Rooney in first-half stoppage time.

The match began in a cagey fashion, with the first half characterized more by disciplinary issues than clear chances. Barnet’s Mark Shelton and Romoney Crichlow-Noble, along with Fleetwood’s Shaun Rooney, all received yellow cards in the opening 45 minutes. The complexion of the contest changed entirely in the 45th minute. Rooney, already cautioned, committed a second bookable offense and was sent off, leaving the Cod Army to play the entire second half a man down.

Barnet immediately made the numerical advantage count. In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, substitute Callum Stead broke the deadlock, finishing an assist from Josh Powell. Just two minutes after the restart, another substitute, Anthony Hartigan, doubled the lead to make it 2-0.

Fleetwood showed a brief flash of resistance, with midfielder Harrison Neal pulling a goal back in the 51st minute to cut the deficit to 2-1. Any hope of a comeback was extinguished, however, as Barnet’s superior manpower and sharpness told. The match grew increasingly fractious, with three more yellow cards shown in a 10-minute period, but Barnet remained focused on extending its lead.

Substitute Kabongo Tshimanga, who would finish as the game’s standout performer, restored the two-goal cushion in the 79th minute, marking his first of the evening. Fleetwood midfielder Mark Helm responded with a goal in the 86th minute to make it 3-2, offering the home supporters a final glimmer of hope.

Barnet, however, put the result beyond any doubt with two late strikes. Tshimanga netted his second goal of the game in the 90th minute, effectively sealing the victory. Then, in the fourth minute of added time, substitute Diallang Jaiyesimi completed the rout with the fifth goal, assisted by Mark Shelton, to cap a remarkable team performance built from the bench.

The final scoreline represented a dramatic upset of pregame analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, and its ELO rating system gave Fleetwood Town a 56.7 percent probability of winning the match. Instead, Barnet’s substitutes combined for four goals and two assists, overwhelming a Fleetwood side that unraveled after Rooney’s dismissal.

The victory gives Barnet a perfect start to its League Two campaign, moving to 1-0-0, while Fleetwood Town begins its season 0-1-0. Both clubs’ records across all competitions mirror their league starts. Barnet will look to build on this explosive offensive display, while Fleetwood must regroup quickly after a defeat defined by a moment of ill-discipline and a subsequent defensive collapse.