Hatch sees off Quakers (From Times Series)

Hatch sees off Quakers

6:43pm Saturday 31st March 2007

• Print
• Email
• Share

Barnet 2 Darlington 1 . . .

Liam Hatch hit a second-half winner to sink the ten-man Quakers and virtually secure Barnet's Football League survival.

The Bees are now ten points above the drop zone with just six games to go.

That will surely be enough to stay up.

Manager Paul Fairclough said: "It was an ugly win, but it was all about the three points today. It was a very nervous performance, but a big occasion for us, as we have not been doing very well lately."

Even though Barnet made hard work of seeing off the ten men of Darlington, the Bees were still the better side and deserved the points.

The Quakers were up against it after just 40 seconds, when Tommy Wright was sent off for an elbow on Simon King.

The Barnet defender went off at half-time for a precautionary x-ray, Fairclough revealed afterwards.

Of the dismissal, the Barnet manager added: "I believe it was the right decision and the referee made it early. It was a bold move, but the right one."

It took the Bees just a few minutes to make their extra man count. A Nicky Bailey corner was knocked back into the box by King and Hatch flicked the ball into the path of Dean Sinclair, who volleyed into the far corner from eight yards.

Barnet, who had earlier seen keeper Sam Russell save a Hatch header and tip over a Nicky Nicolau free-kick, were in full control now. Helped by the strong wind, they looked like running away with it.

But Darlington equalised midway through the half against the run of play, David Whealer sending a looping header over Lee Harrison to stun the home crowd.

Barry Cogan saw a volley held by Russell at the other end, but the equaliser knocked Barnet off their stride and there were no further chances in the first half.

With the wind in Darlington's favour after the break, it did not look good for the Bees, but they came out after the interval with much purpose.

Seven minutes had elapsed when Hatch turned home a Bailey free-kick from inside the six-yard box.

The home side did well to keep most of the play in the opposition half and almost wrapped it up midway through the second period. A lovely move involving Sinclair and Adam Birchall set up Nicolau, but Russell blocked the latter's drive.

Darlington rallied in the closing stages, as the Bees began to get nervous at the back, and thought they had forced a stoppage-time equaliser, but Mark Phillips was judged offside as he arrived at the back post to slam home a Rory Prendergast cross.

BARNET (4-4-2): Harrison; Devera, Yakubu, King (Warhurst 45), Gross (Hendon 85); Cogan, Sinclair, Bailey, Nicolau; Birchall (Grazioli 90), Hatch. Subs not used: Flitney, Allen.

Attendance: 2,364.

• Print
• Email
• Share