| Barnet | 2-1 | Cambridge United |
| Ndah 45 | Barnwell 23 | |
| Primus 81 | ||
| Att: 2,049 |
United line-up: Barrett, Joseph, Wilson, Ashbee, Craddock, Raynor, Wanless, Hyde (Preece 82), Taylor (Kyd 69), Barnwell, Foster.
Subs Not Used: Vowden.
Fred Berry's match report:
We should of won this match in the first half. The game started off very brightly for us with chance after chance. On a better day we would of won it but we lacked that killer instinct in front of goal. Raynor was delivering good corners into the box. New loan signings Foster and Wilson both saw headers glimpse past the post. We were playing well with the help of the slope and had what was a blatent handball in the box overlooked by the ref.
It was not until I think mid way through the first half after numerous chances we scored. A cross from the right found Barnwell unmarked who steered a header into the roof of the net 1-0. Just after the goal Shaggy broke free with just the keeper to beat, the keeper got a hand to his shot that was rolling onwards, it was a race between Taylor and the defender. Taylor arrived at the ball first but somehow the Barnet defender slide tackled Taylor. It was a glorious chance and he should have scored but Shaggy lacked the pace. If we had of scored that I think we would of won it. Barnet looked Conference standard and we looked sure to go in at half time with the lead. Then a counter attack in injury time for the first half AGAIN saw the defence relaxing. A long ball down the wing was picked up and their cross found a Barnet player unmarked to score from close range 1-1.
The second half was a dull affair. Barnet just about had the better of play with the slope behind them. United hardly threatened at all. There was a few crosses but nothing to trouble the Barnet defence to much. Just after the break their player found himself with just Scotty to beat, his shot was saved superbly by Barret. Nothing exciting happened after that. Kyd was brought on and Wilson was looking good at left back as well as the big centre half Foster we signed. Barnet then got an indirect free kick outside the box. The defence had fallen a sleep and their player met the cross well and fired a shot pass the stranded Barrett 2-1. Preece came on and Barnet defended well for the rest of the game. Some fans got annoyed with the Barnet goal and one got into a tussle with a steward. There was no way back in it and the ref soon blew his whistle.
I am feeling p***ed off with the way we always let teams get back in the match. We should have beaten them they were conference standard. We have to beat Lincoln or we can kiss goodbye to promotion. Luckily Colchester and most teams behind us lost.
Ratings
Barrett 8 Made a good save, not his fault for the goals. Joseph 6 A poor match by his high standards. Wilson 8 Made a good debut, was solid in defence gets my MOM. Ashbee 6.5 Was good again in midfield. Craddock 7 Strong again in defence. Raynor 4.5 Fell asleep in the second half. Ok in the first. Wanless 6.5 Played average. Hyde 6.5 Some good passes and runs. Have seen better from him. Taylor 5.5 Should have scored. Did not do much after that. Barnwell 7.5 A good goal and showed a lot of pace needs more stamina. Foster 7 Made a sound debut at centre half. Added a bit of experience. Subs. Kyd Preece Both not on long enough to rate.
I would like to take this opportunity to complain about Barnet's idea of not giving concessions. I am 15 and had to pay £8 to sit in a tatty unsheltered stand. I find it hard enough to get the money to go to these games to watch my beloved team play and to pay that much to get in is totally ludicrous. After going to most away games this season I have not found one team who charge so much for kids to get in. Underhill is not exactly the San Siro and I cannot see them attracting much needed young supporters to games at a price like that!
Gareth Challis's match report:
For eight quid (apparently more than the home fans have to pay to stand) we crammed onto some temporary scaffolding (well, I hope it was temporary) that had shades of that Pink Floyd gig at Earl's Court ... not safe at all.
United started well, pinning Barnet back almost constantly for 30 minutes and could have been 3-0 up quite easily. The new loan left back Paul Wilson looked impressive running up the wing and whipping in some great crosses. Foster also looked good, if a little sluggish - definitely adding some solidity to the centre of our defence.
There were shades of the first half at Orient where we would have beaten anyone in our division. Foster had a header cleared off the line and then on 23 minutes Jamie Barnwell run on to a perfectly placed cross from the left wing to head over the 'keeper with the defence nowhere. 1-0 to the U's and we were cruising to victory. A few minutes later and Shaggy was put through, taking the ball around the 'keeper. Slightly knocked of balance he struggled to get the ball before a Barnet defender, losing out at the last moment.
It could (and should) have been at least 2-0 at that stage, but Shaggy's miss turned the game around. The U's faltered for the rest of the half, gradually worsening - the play was no longer full of quick, decisive, flowing passes. We all knew what was happening. Barnet's first real attack was right on half-time, breaking down the right wing - a perfect cross was met by Jamie Ndah, heading Barnet level. For the second game running we allow ourselves to lose a lead right on half-time.
The second half was full of the same old stuff. Throwing away possession left, right and centre. Players who were making those perfect passes in the first half were now playing it straight to Barnet players. To say there is a confidence problem in the team is a major understatement. I don't want to talk about the second half too much - we were almost as bad as in the game against Scunthorpe. Luckily, Barnet weren't spectacular themselves.
The winner came on 81 minutes from Linvoy Primus, left to run through a static defence to head home a Paul Wilson free-kick from 6 yards leaving Barrett helpless.
Thanks to Will Jones for giving me a lift at a much cheaper rate than the
coach and to both Will Jones and Sam Short for helping me compile the player ratings.
It's strange. Stevenage Borough and Kidderminster were both stopped from rising from non-league football because their pitches were 'sub-standard' for a football league side. Barnet's ground makes the Abbey look like the Maracana in Rio. Why Barnet are allowed to play football in such a ground defeats me.
Barrett 6 Joseph 6 Wilson 7 *MoM* - Good performance. Much better than Vowden. Ashbee 6 Craddock 6 Raynor 6 Wanless 6 Hyde 5 Taylor 4 Barnwell 7 Foster 7 Subs : Preece - On for Micah after 82 minutes. Kyd 5 - On for Taylor after 69 minutes.
Terry Wilby's match report:
Team changes included "new bloke" at 3, and "another new bloke" at 11. The range of the wonderful tannoy didn't extend to the visiting supporters. It turns out it was Paul Wilson at 3 and Colin Foster at 11. Both had quite
reasonable games.
We attacked down the slope in the first half, played pretty well and made a number of chances. Jamie Barnwell scored with a header from a cross by Ian Ashbee. Soon after Shaggy had a good chance, partly saved by the keeper but looked to be rolling in at the near post. It was almost slow motion as Shaggy and a defender ran in together, the defender just getting his boot there first to put it past the post. Barnet posed no problems until the 45th minute, a cross from their right was headed in easily by the unmarked forward.
In the second half playing up the slope we did nothing of note in the way of attacking. Our defence were practising heading back to Barrett, they looked very good. Barnet's winner came from a dubious free kick outside the corner of the penalty area. Everyone stood still except for Primus who headed in easily. Another bad goal to concede. Barrett had 1 save to make at the feet of a forward, and that was about all. Preece came on for Micah who had done nothing, Kyd for Shaggy who apparently had a migraine. Our only goal bound shot in the second half came from Kyd, although I think it was a miss hit cross.
Matt Joseph got a knock to the face in the first half which seemed to affect him as he was poor, at least he had an excuse. Man of the Match for us goes to Foster who looked solid, just ahead of Wanless who did a lot of running but went nowhere really. Barnwell apart from scoring did little except be easily knocked of the ball. Paul Raynor put in a few decent crosses which came to nothing.
I said at the start that we probably needed 3 goals in the first half with the slope for a draw, I was close! If we'd have got a second I think we would have won easily, but conceding just before half time is not a good idea.
Ratings: Barrett 6, Joseph 4, Wilson 6, Ashbee 5, Craddock 6, Raynor 5, Wanless 6, Hyde 3, Taylor 5, Barnwell 5, Foster 7 *MoM*. Subs: Preece 4, Kyd 6, Vowden not used.
Grateful thanks to Fred Berry, Gareth Challis and Terry Wilby for their match reports and ratings.
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It was almost like a home game, left my house around 1:30, in the pub near the ground around 2:15. Loads of U's in there too. Saw Gordon Strachan outside the ground and Danny Granville was behind the goal for the first half, I didn't see him in the second though, he probably knew what was going to happen!