Nationwide Conference
  18 September 2004

By Iain Dalziel of This is Bees

The Bees made it six wins in a row, comfortably beating fellow high flyers Gravesend & Northfleet by four goals to one.

Barnet made just one change to the side that won at Tamworth. The suspended Dwane Lee was replaced by the tough tackling Guy Lopez. Gravesend came into the game on the back of a home defeat to Hereford. This however was the first defeat for nineteen games, a run that had stretched from the middle of February.

The game began at a slower pace than expected; both sides seemed more than content to just get settled down before looking to score. The first chance of the game didn’t come until around the quarter of an hour mark. Ian Hendon burst down the right hand side and hit a low cross in for Grazioli. The Bees top scorer connected well but struck it just too high and subsequently hit the bar.

After this Barnet looked slightly livelier and won a few corners, but did little else. Gravesend were not doing much better, but were getting some considerable assistance from referee Mr. Harris, who continually awarded some rather strange decisions in favour of the ‘Fleet.

After half an hour barnet finally started to look like the table-topping side they are. Hendon started to appear as more and more of a threat down the right hand side and Graham was starting to turn on the style on the other flank. In the thirty fifth minute Barnet won a corner. The ball was whipped in to the thick of it, where Yakubu headed goalwards. However, his header was never going to be powerful enough, but Hatch’s touch was. The ex-Gravesend player connected with the header on and put the ball past Mitten to give Barnet the lead.

The goal clearly gave Barnet confidence and rocked Fleet. Barnet began to attack and within three minutes of Hatch’s effort Grazioli doubled Barnet’s lead and made it eight goals in eight games. The forward chased after a through ball, which was played slightly in front of him. As Mitten came out to pounce Grazioli got a slight touch, which was enough to put it to the goalkeeper’s right. Chasing onto it Grazioli kept his cool and slotted into the empty net.

After a very poor first thirty minute’s Barnet were now in an excellent position and playing some of their best football. The second goal forced more of a reaction from Gravesend, but the Bees defence stood firm and gave Fleet’s attack no joy.

One minute before half time Barnet seemed to put the game beyond doubt. A clear lack of communication by the Gravesend defence allowed Hatch a second. The Fleet back line simply didn’t properly clear the ball. Mitten had come quite far of his line and blocked an effort by Grazioli. From the block the ball was bouncing very unkindly, yet the lanky Liam Hatch managed to strike the ball on the volley. With his whole body off the ground Hatch smacked the ball over everyone, before it dipped into the net to make it 3-0 after forty four minutes.

Soon after the referee ended a half of football, which for the first two thirds had been dire, but in the final quarter of an hour Barnet really turned on the style and put Gravesend in a very bad position.

Second Half

The Fleet players re-emerged early for the second half as they prepared to go for an impressive comeback. It was clear in the early stages of the second half that they were ready to go, but Barnet simply didn’t give them the opportunity. From right to left the back line was solid, arguably the best performance from the defence yet.

After preventing an early goal being conceded Barnet were forced to do very little. The Bees continued to push forward, but with less urgency than the closing stages of the first half.

The game in general become dull, but to Barnet and their jubilant fans it mattered little with the score line as it was. For Gravesend it was a very different story. They looked nothing like the side which stayed unbeaten for so long.

On the hour mark Barnet very nearly added a fourth. A great bit of skill by Strevens on the right saw him cut inside slightly. Looking up he choose to shoot rather than cross. This nearly proved the right decision, as his sweetly struck effort with the outside of his foot went narrowly wide. Shortly after Barnet again went close, Richie Graham rounded the ‘keeper, but was at an awkward angle. It wasn’t clear whether he meant to square it to Grazioli, or go for goal himself. Either way the ball failed to cross the line, rolling almost straight across it after Grazioli failed to connect.

With fifteen minutes left the heavens opened, maybe summing up Gravesend’s day, but certainly not Barnet’s, who began to push harder for another goal. Five minutes later that got another goal and made it 4-0. A bursting run by Sinclair resulted in him scoring a similair goal to Grazioli’s. The ‘keeper again failed to hold the ball and the midfielder rounded him and tucked the ball into the open goal. Sinclair and most of Underhill went mad, as the ex-Norwich man made it four in eight since his arrival at the beginning of the season.

After this goal Barnet took their foot of the gas and although it was a bit late Gravesend finally began to attack. To their credit the Gravesend fans had travelled in good numbers and created a fair amount of noise. They were scantily rewarded however late on when ex-Bee Manny Omoyinmi scrambled the ball home to make it 4-1.

However, further disappointment for the Fleet fans came a minute alter when influential defender Chris Moore was given a red card. Lee Roache, who had come on for Grazioli, used his pace to good effect and was only stopped when Moore caught him with a late tackle. The red card seemed a little harsh, yet the referee had made many poor decisions throughout the game.

After two added minutes the referee brought the game to a close. Barnet didn’t play at their best for most of the game, yet still won convincingly. Gravesend however did not have the best of days, but the fact they’ve lost two on the bounce still doesn’t write them off being up there challenging for the remainder of the season.

Barnet worked hard as a team, but once again took a while before they started to look dangerous. Nevertheless this win keeps the Bees unbeaten and three points clear. On Tuesday Burton Albion come to Underhill and after a result like this the league leaders will go into the game full of confidence that they’ll still be at the top at ten o’clock on Tuesday evening.

Iain Dalziel’s Man of the Match

Liam Hatch Gave it his all throughout. Clearly was up for it against his old club. He performed well throughout and did especially well on his second goal. The defence were also good today Clist, King, Yakubu and Hendon all looked solid.

Match Photos

Twenty-eight photos of the game by Chris Holland.

Bookings

Barnet

Strevens 12
Sinclair 22
Graham 50

Gravesend & Northfleet

Surey 14
Moore 50
Moore Sent Off 89

M Harris (Lincolnshire)

Teams

Barnet

Millard, Hendon, King, Yakubu, Clist, Strevens (Dobson 85), Sinclair, Lopez (Bailey 82), Graham, Hatch, Grazioli (Roache 77)

Subs not used: Tynan, Champion

Gravesend & Northfleet

Mitten, Protheroe, Shearer (Jackson 31, Sidibe 64), Moore, Lovell, Drury, McKimm, Saunders, Surey, Essandoh (Omoyinmi 71), Louis

Subs not used: Wilkerson, Gledhill

Other Reports

BBC

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