Nationwide Conference
27 March 2004

By Jack Foord

Ian Hendon and Danny Maddix took charge after Martin Allen's departure. Unfortunately it ended in another draw for the fifth time in a row after a Ben Strevens free kick was ruled out by a Forest Green Rovers penalty.

They won the penalty after a push on Forest's main striker, in recent games. Forest converted the penalty by wrong-footing Shane Gore in the Bees' goal.

Danny Maddix and Ian Hendon's line up for their first game were made with a few changes from the last match against Chester by swapping Pearson for Hatch and Williams for Yakubu, with Strevens on the left and Williams on the right.

The remainder of the half went quickly with many different attacks and many super chances for the Bees. Rovers didn't get many chances as Barnet kept most of the possession. At the half way mark it was 1-1.

Second Half

In the second half both teams went out trying to get the winning goal with many chances coming from the Bees.

The Bees had Grazioli, Strevens and Redmile coming close to taking the lead. Barnet didn't give up and kept on attacking and pushing harder, and after a 5-0 thrashing of Forest Green at Underhill (ealier in the season) Ian Hendon was very confident that Barnet would succeed in getting a win they desperately needed.

The first real opportunity that came was early on in the game from Barnet when Joe gamble played through to Grazioli but was wide of the target, just after 10 minutes gone so far.

Barnet began to keep the ball extremely well and not letting Forest Green get a sniff at the ball and the bees had a few chances with Greg Pearson on loan for the rest of the season know headed the ball just wide and Grazioli shot was blocked off the line, as the bees kept on pressuring the Forest Green Defence immensely.

Then Joe Gamble once again played through Geoff Pearson and Pearson couldn't score and the Forest green made good save before Grazioli hit the ball wide of the target once again.

As the bees kept on pressuring they then found themselves with a free kick when Joe Gamble apparently was tripped just outside the Forest Green penalty area. Ben Strevens then stepped up and amazingly curled the ball into the back of the Forest Green net and the Barnet fans surged down towards the barrier in huge excitement.

That lead only lasted for a matter of five minutes as Forest harder to get this goal; they had opportunities from Redmile heading wide, Strevens being blocked off the line and Pearson coming close as well.

Forest Green still had only had once chance and that was the penalty and finally had chance but was blasted a high over the top of the crossbar.

Barnet then unfoundedly couldn't find that goal or Forest Green rovers to get that win that the bees mostly deserved to win but just couldn't direct that ball goalwards and which  this results push's there chances in getting into the play-offs.

Bookings

Barnet

M.Redmile, 27, unsporting behaviour
M.Rooney, 77, unsporting behaviour

G.Stoker, 36, unsporting behaviour

Referee: Dorr, S

Teams

Barnet

S.Gore, M.Redmile, S.King, M.Rooney, D.Maddix, J.Gamble (T.Taggart 90), S.Clist, B.Strevens, G.Pearson (L.Hatch 83), G.Grazioli, M.Williams (I.Yakabu 78)

Unused substitutes: C.Plummer, R.Millard

Forest Green

S.Perrin, M.Foster, T.Jordan, J.Richardson, A.Sykes, S.Rogers, S.Cowe (H.McAuley 68), D.Searle, G.Stoker, A.Meechan (M.Aubrey 60), I.Fitzpatrick (A.Adams 77)

Unused substitutes: Green, C.Giannangelo

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