Nationwide Conference
01 March 2005

By Robin Thomas

Barnet succumbed to their sixth defeat of the league season at Kit Kat Crescent as a determined York City ground out victory on a frustrating night for the North London table-toppers.

The defeat leaves Barnet with the knowledge that they will have to improve if they are to retain their position through to the end of the league season, although they may feel with some justification that their efforts in this case merited at least a point on a night when the their luck, and poise when in attacking positions, deserted them.

Paul Fairclough made two changes from the home victory over Aldershot Town, with Dwane Lee replacing the suspended Dean Sinclair in midfield, and Shane Gore deputising for the injured Scott Tynan between the posts. While these changes were forced upon the Bees manager, he made one alteration of choice in sending out his troops to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, abandoning the more fluid 4-3-3 system employed for the weekend’s home match.

Barnet’s small but vocal band of travelling supporters were encouraged by their team’s start to the match, as they retained possession with an assurance befitting a team 14 points clear at the top of the league. They almost made this possession count inside the first 15 minutes as Ritchie Graham crossed from the left for the onrushing Lee Roache, whose volley was close enough to York keeper Chris Porter for him to save well to his left.

In spite of their dominance of possession, Barnet struggled to create further chances as York’s hard-working five man midfield hassled and harried them at every turn. Behind them, the Minstermen’s back four were well-marshalled by their veteran captain Paul Groves, and although Barnet enjoyed territorial superiority in the opening twenty minutes of the match, it was clear that they were in for a tough battle on a heavy pitch to which their usually fluent passing game was sadly ill-suited.

Having contained Barnet during the visitors’ strong start to the match, York began to display some attacking intent of their own and created a golden opportunity to take the lead on 24 minutes. However, striker Bishop headed over from just 5 yards after Maloney’s left wing cross found him unmarked.

York continued to press, and for the remainder of the first half appeared to be playing with a new-found belief that they could upset the league leaders. It was the Bees who had the next goal-scoring opportunity, however, as from Nicky Bailey’s free kick from the left touchline Giuliano Grazioli found space between two defenders, only to see his instinctive prod towards goal strike the foot of Porter’s right-hand post and bounce out of play.

Aside from Grazioli’s agonising near-miss, the hosts dominated the closing stages of the first half, and with Barnet looking increasingly uncomfortable at the back York capitalised and took the lead in the 43rd minute. After an impressive sequence of passes, Bishop laid the ball into the path of Donovan who finished neatly over the advancing Gore. A fine goal from the Minsterrmen, but Barnet’s inability to get tight to their opponents and disrupt their play will have dismayed Paul Fairclough, who was faced with the task of lifting his players during the half-time period.

Second Half

Whatever Mr Fairclough said clearly had the desired effect as the Bees made a powerful start to the second period, pinning their opponents back in their own half and responding to the full-throated support of their travelling band of supporters. An equaliser looked likely and in the 58th minute Barnet levelled the contest in splendid style.

As York struggled to regroup after clearing a Barnet corner as far as Nicky Bailey, the carrot-topped midfielder picked out Dwane Lee in space on the right-hand edge of the penalty with a measured aerial pass. Lee’s first touch was immaculate, simultaneously taking the ball under control and enabling him to sprint past York’s left back to the goal line. As he sent a low, fizzing cross into the six-yard box, Grazioli slid in to score his 22nd goal of the season.

Barnet looked the more likely team to go and win the match from this point, and just two minutes later Grazioli scored what many felt was a legitimate goal after latching onto Roache’s through ball, only to have it ruled out for offside. This was a contentious decision, and a crucial one at a time when Barnet were threatening to take the game under their control and power onto victory. Instead, they lost some of their initiative, and on 68 minutes Shane Gore was forced into an impressive reflex save from Bishop’s fierce volley.

From the resulting corner, Barnet found themselves behind once again. A short corner on the right was played to Darren Dunning, and his in swinging left-footed cross found John Maloney unmarked just 8 yards from goal as the Bees made an ill-judged attempt to push up and leave him in an offside position, and the on-loan Doncaster Rovers defender made no mistake in volleying past the exposed Gore.

In an attempt to rescue the match, Liam Hatch was introduced to proceedings at the expense of Lee Roache, but despite applying concerted pressure still the Bees struggled in vain to create genuine goalscoring opportunities. Indeed, it was often the Minstermen who often appeared the more likely to add to their tally, as they spurned several chances to exploit a Barnet defence overstretched with Ian Hendon committed to joining the Bees’ increasingly desperate attacks.

As the game moved into injury time, Barnet had one last dramatic chance to score as Liam Hatch robbed Dunning and raced into the York penalty area. However, with 5 team mates well-placed in support, Hatch chose to shoot and watched in despair as his wild shot cleared the crossbar.

At the full-time whistle, York’s players and supporters enjoyed their prodigious celebrations, and few Bees fans will have begrudged them that after a difficult season to date. Barnet, however, left ‘The Kit Kat’ frustrated after missing an opportunity to consolidate their lead at the top of the league against a competitive but eminently beatable York team.

Bookings

Barnet

Hatch
Grazioli

York

Merris
Webster
Donovan

Ref: D Foster (Tyne & Wear)

Teams

Barnet

Gore, Hendon, Yakubu, King, Clist, Graham, Lee, Bailey, Strevens, Grazioli, Roache (Hatch 70)

Subs Not Used: Charles, Lopez, Millard, McBean

York

Porter, Law, Groves, Maloney, Smith, Donovan, Webster, Dunning, Merris, Bishop, Paul D Robinson

Subs Not Used: Yalcin, Stockdale, Davies, Paul Robinson, Grant

Match Stats

Possession:
York 48%
Barnet 52%

Shots:
York 11
Barnet 5

Corners:
York 5
Barnet 7

Fouls:
York 9
Barnet 8

Bookings:
York 3
Barnet 2

Other Reports

Barnet Times
Footymad
Soccernet
York Evening Mail
BBC North Yorkshire
BBC

Broadband only (video footage)

conferencefootball.tv

If you know of any reports please email me the link on jsnow@bfcsa.net

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