Nationwide Conference
03 January 2004

By Iain Dalziel

Barnet began their 2004 travels in the best possible way, by taking all three points on a freezing afternoon at Halifax Town.

Going into the game the Bees only had one major absentee, other wise ever-present centre back Chris Plummer was unavailable due to suspension. With no Plummer, Yakabu filled in at centre back alongside Maddix. There were also places for Williams and Taggart, with McNamee on the bench and Geoff Pitcher not in the squad. Halifax were pretty much at full strength and it looked like it could be a very close game.

The game started with both sides looking quite tense, neither team managing to create any clear cut opportunities in the opening stages. However, when play began to settle down it was the home side who took control. The Shaymen were passing the ball around well, and not allowing the Bees possession. In the twentieth minute the Halifax fans thought their side had taken the lead.

Yet somehow the ball, which beat Gore, hit the inside off the post and bounced out, but this was a severe warning to Barnet. After a lot of Halifax pressure the Bees began trying to mount an attack of their own. A swinging cross from Williams, which was well met by Strevens, nearly gave Barnet a goal on the break. Unfortunately for the Bees Strevens’ header hit the bar and went behind for a goal kick.

Barnet’s spell of pressure didn’t last for long, almost straight after Strevens’ effort Halifax regained control. On thirty six minutes Mallon was charging forward, before being brought down by Maddix, who was booked for unsporting behaviour. Town were awarded a free kick just on the edge of the area.

From the initial free kick any threat was blocked, however the ball which was heading for the touchline was retrieved and whipped into the penalty area. This time the Bees were punished, some slack marking allowed former Sheffield United attacker Lewis Killeen to head firmly past Shane Gore to give Halifax the lead. Halifax thoroughly deserved the goal, and barnet could have no complaints about being a goal down at the break.

Second Half

Barnet began the second half well. The Bees players were linking up considerably better than in the first half and they were playing some good football. However, in the opening five minutes despite the good start to the half the Bees didn’t really look like scoring. Halifax’s defence were keeping strong and were attempting to have a go on the break, but Barnet’s defence also were holding out well.

Barnet needed to be more creative if they were to get back into the game, hence the introduction of the tricky Anthony McNamee, replacing Tony Taggart on the left hand side. On the right flank Williams had been trying hard all afternoon, but wasn’t really pulling much off. However a good through ball by Lopez found the former Brentford man in space. Just as he was being closed down he cooly stroked the ball across the edge of the box.

The pass fell straight in front of Bees attacker, Giuliano Grazioli. With Town ‘keeper Cartwright approaching Grazioli kept his cool and stabbed it under Cartwright to level for the Bees in the fifty fourth minute. Apart from Strevens’ earlier effort against which hit the woodwork this was Barnet first clear chance.

The goal gave the Barnet players a major confidence boost, and they began to press for a second. In the midfield for the Bees the re-called Lopez was battling superbly and winning nearly everything. At the back for Barnet it was a similair story, Yakabu and Maddix both looked very solid. The Bees were now playing some good football, Ian Hendon was now pushing forward but instead of playing the ball in the air he was knocking it about neatly on the ground.

A nice one two with Lopez gave Hendon a chance with a shot. His rasping effort from twenty five yards was only parried by Cartwright. Unfortunately for Halifax it was deflected straight into the path of Ben Strevens who bundled in the Bees second. At the other end of the ground the Bees fans set off on a mad terrace run, and at the other end ‘Super Ben’ set off on a celebratory run of his own.

Immediately after the second Barnet carried own going forward and just three minutes after Strevens’ first they thought he’d scored a second, when he met McNamee’s cross and headed home. However this was disallowed for offside.

Halifax started to get going again and with twenty minutes to go still had a good chance to draw things level. Farrell and Killeen both looked dangerous up front but, the creative players Ryan Mallon and former long serving Northwich man Val Owen looked most likely to do something. With fourteen minutes left Barnet had Ismail Yakabu booked for a foul on Mallon, just on the edge of the area, out wide.

The balls was swung in and were it not for some poor heading from Farrell the Bees could’ve been pegged back. This chance was followed by two poor final efforts from Mallon, one from Killeen and in the eighty ninth minute Val Owen was desperately unlucky with a spectacular effort, sailing just over the crossbar. Amidst all this Halifax pressure Barnet made a couple of breaks and corners. On one break had Lopez not taken such a hard touch then he may have sealed the points by rounding Cartwright for number three.

It was a very nervous finish for the Bees who twice already this season have thrown away games in a similair position (Scarborough and Woking). However, despite the referee playing double the amount of injury time that the fourth official showed, Barnet hung on.

After three disappointing performances over the Christmas period the Bees finally picked up a win, on the ninth day of Christmas! Next week Barnet take a break from league action as they host Dr. Martens league side Dover Athletic to Underhill in the FA Trophy round three. The Bees will be hoping they can keep up their unbeaten record in 2004 and make sure that there is no free Saturday for the Bees fans on FA Trophy fourth round day!

Iain Dalziel’s Man of the Match

Giuliano Grazioli

Match Photos

Twenty five photos of the game by Chris Holland.

Quotes from the Manager

"We had a game at home, live on television, in front of our biggest crowd of the season only a few days ago and I think everyone to a man came away from that match disappointed because it was not a good performance."

"Two days later we leave London at 8am, with one player suspended and two injured and we come from a goal behind to put in what I can only describe as a fantastic performance.

"The players were feeling a little bit sorry for themselves in the first half, but in the second half they just stepped up a gear and they were superb.

"Grazioli and Strevens worked tirelessly and unselfishly to get the result for the team. It was unselfish, committed running all afternoon and they got their reward in the second half when the game opened up."

Bookings

Barnet

D.Maddix, 36, unsporting behaviour
I.Yakabu, 76, unsporting behaviour
J.Gamble, 90, unsporting behaviour

Halifax

C.Lee, 22, unsporting behaviour
M.Monington, 52, unsporting behaviour

Referee: Nolan, I

Teams

Barnet

S.Gore, I.Hendon, S.King, I.Yakabu, D.Maddix, J.Gamble, G.Lopez, T.Taggart (A.McNamee 53), M.Williams, B.Strevens, G.Grazioli (M.Rooney 90)

Unused substitutes: S.Henry, A.Campion, R.Millard

Halifax

M.Cartwright, S.McAuley, M.Monington, A.Yates, J.Dudgeon, D.Hudson (J.Sagere 73), V.Owen, C.Lee (A.Farrell 64), C.Midgley, L.Killeen, R.Mallon

Unused substitutes: J.Allan, M.Senior, D.Hockenhull

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Barnet Cartoons
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