9:47pm Tuesday 12th February 2008
By Paul Wreyford
FULL TIME: Barnet 1 Brentford 2 . . .
Barnet will wonder how they lost this pulsating London derby at Underhill tonight.
Somehow Brentford, who played most of the second half with ten men following the dismissal of Gary Smith, kept out the rampant hosts and even had the nerve to steal goals towards the end of both halves.
Barnet only had an Adam Birchall injury-time goal as consolation, the game all but over by then.
Poor Barnet dominated and created chance after chance, but could not find a way through, again let down by some poor finishing.
This was an action-packed encounter played at a frantic pace, with the hosts playing some excellent football.
They had Brentford pinned in their own half for most of the match, but the visitors played the classic counter-attack game to complete the double over their London rivals.
Barnet made a number of changes from the side that lost at Darlington on Saturday. The biggest shock was the non-appearance of star player Jason Puncheon, the official line that he had been delayed in traffic, though speculation on the terraces with regard to his future was rife.
Kieron St Aimie came in for Nicky Nicolau, while there was a return for Adam Birchall up front.
Both sides forced early corners, but they came to nothing.
The first real chance fell to Barnet. St Aimie did well to find Birchall with a low cross into the centre, but his shot on the turn was saved by keeper Ben Hamer.
The Brentford number one then got down to keep out a low Albert Adomah effort a minute later.
On 13 minutes, Ismail Yakubu saw a close-ranger header parried by Hamer after Adomah had retrieved a Joe Devera glancing header at the back post following a corner.
Adomah then saw a near-post header pushed out by the busy visiting keeper, this time from a Josh Wright corner.
Neal Bishop was next to try his luck, bursting into the box, but he shot wide with just Hamer to beat. He should have buried it.
It was a cracking Barnet start that only lacked a goal.
Cliff Akurang teed up Birchall on 25 minutes, but the latter's shot was weak and straight at Hamer. The same player then saw a shot on the turn flash wide.
Brentford were struggling to get out of their own half, the home side continuing to do all the pressing.
The Barnet forwards were looking really lively, while wingers Adomah and St Aimie were running rings round their markers in what was a one-sided opening 35 minutes.
However, it was Brentford who struck nine minutes before the interval. Alan Connell slipped in Glenn Poole and he lashed the ball past Rob Beckwith from a tight angle. It was the classic sucker punch and so cruel on the hosts.
The shock opener lifted the visitors and Poole saw Beckwith save a low drive, before Craig Stone then singed the hands of the keeper with a powerful long-range effort.
But the first half ended with home fans wondering how on earth their team were behind at the break.
Brentford's Gary Smith had the first effort of the second period, but Beckwith got down to gather his low drive comfortably.
That was Smith's last contribution, the midfielder being dismissed soon after for a second yellow card.
From the free-kick, which was punted into the box, Devera saw an effort saved and the same player then shot wildly over from close in following the resultant corner.
With an extra man, Barnet continued to press, St Aimie seeing a drive sail over the bar from the edge of the box.
On the hour, Adomah jinked past a couple of defenders, before his shot hit Birchall and deflected just wide.
It was just not happening for the home side, the finish not matching their excellent approach play, Akurang next to see a shot fly wide of the post midway through the half.
And Barnet were again made to pay.
Against the run of play, Kenny Gillet tripped Ricky Shakes in the box with 11 minutes to go and Poole slotted home the penalty to send the visiting fans wild.
The Barnet heads not surprisingly dropped, but they kept fighting and Devera was denied a late consolation, his near-post flick saved by Hamer.
However, Beckwith also had to be alert to stop a Shakes' effort with his leg.
Finally, deep into stoppage time, Birchall was put through and he slotted past the keeper, but it was too little too late.
BARNET (4-4-2): Beckwith; Porter (Carew 74), Devera, Yakubu, Gillet; Adomah, Wright, Bishop, St Aimie (Thomas 81); Birchall, Akurang. Subs not used: Harrison, Burton, Leary.
Attendance: 2,522.
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