A Tale of Two Penalties

7:52pm Saturday 25th August 2007

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Brentford 2 Barnet 1 . . .

Luckless Barnet were left feeling hard done by for the second week running.

Even Brentford boss Terry Butcher used the word "debatable" to describe the two spot kicks that swung this controversial encounter the way of the hosts.

Both sides were also reduced to ten men as, once again, most of the talk after the game was about the man in black.

Butcher said: "The ref had a major impact on the game. We had two penalties given that may have been debatable."

Barnet manager Paul Fairclough added: "There are always defining moments in games of football and today they were because of major decisions from the referee.

"I'm disappointed about the first penalty. My players insist no one touched their player. The referee even said he was not sure which player touched him."

That penalty, for a so-called trip on Charlie Ide, came just three minutes into the second half, Kevin O'Connor beating Lee Harrison from the spot.

The hosts were down to ten men at that point, Lee Thorpe having been red carded on the stroke of half-time for a challenge on Max Porter, who was left with stud marks down his back.

Barnet regained the initiative on the hour with another Jason Puncheon special, his third goal in as many games. The winger beat keeper Ben Hamer at his near post with a low drive from the angle of the box.

Butcher said: "It was a great strike. We knew how dangerous he can be."

Fairclough added: "Everyone blinked and it was in the back of the net."

But the game swung back in Brentford's favour on 69 minutes, when they were awarded a second penalty. Debutant Stevland Angus allowed Ryan Peters to get away from him and cynically hauled him back. Harrison brilliantly blocked O'Connor's spot kick, but John Mousinho was one of four Brentford players queuing up to put in the rebound.

Fairclough admitted: "I've got no complaints about the second penalty, but I was disappointed with the response from my players. The keeper made a fantastic save and four of their players responded while ours just stood there."

The initial challenge by Angus, who was red-carded for the foul, appeared to be outside the box, but the referee showed no mercy and Brentford were back in the ascendancy for the final 20 minutes.

Fairclough said: "I think we would have gone on to win the game if we had kept 11 players on the pitch."

Barnet's best chance to salvage an equaliser came in injury time, but Anthony Thomas blazed wildly over at the back post when the ball was only half cleared.

In truth, Barnet perhaps did not deserve much from the game anyway, though Butcher conceded the visitors dominated the opening 30 minutes, even if they did lack a bit of punch up front.

But it turned out to be another one of those days and the Bees have just one point from their opening three games.

To add to their problems, both Sagi Burton and Michael Leary hobbled off.

Fairclough said: "It's a cruel start. It is not the place we wanted to be after three games, but it is only three games and we will come back strongly."

BARNET (4-4-2): Harrison; Hendon, Angus, Burton (Oceauill), Nicolau; Seanla, Porter, Leary (Hart 20(Hatch 72)), Puncheon; Birchall, Thomas. Subs not used: Beckwith, Grazioli.

Attendance: 4,744.

Best Bee: Jason Puncheon.

* Fairclough's praise for Puncheon - see Thursday's Times series.