FULL-TIME: Brighton & HA 4 Barnet 0

9:42pm Tuesday 12th August 2008

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Barnet crashed out of the Carling Cup on a night they will want to forget.

Four first-half goals left the Bees reeling.

Though they restored a bit of pride after the interval, the dismissal of Kenny Gillet for what the referee deemed to be a head-butt just added to their woes.

League One Brighton were a class above their lower-league visitors and the result was never in doubt.

Barnet made three changes from the side that lost to Chesterfield on Saturday.

Keeper Rob Beckwith replaced Lee Harrison, while Joe Tabiri and Luke Medley were preferred to Kieron St Aimie and Cliff Akurang.

Tabiri's debut did not start well, the midfielder booked for a late tackle on Dean Cox before a minute had elapsed.

And, from the free kick, Kevin McLeod floated the ball over for Adam Virgo to steal in at the back post to head past Beckwith. It was shocking defending, with the Brighton striker totally unmarked and with all the time in the world to pick his spot.

The goal was timed at 90 seconds.

The Seagulls were flying and Nicky Forster almost added a second on nine minutes, his header from a corner this time coming back off the crossbar. Again the marking was awful.

Barnet had to wait until the 18th minute before their first chance. Albert Adomah broke down the right; cut inside and rode the challenges before unselfishly pulling the ball across the face of the six-yard box, but no one could get on the end of his driven cross. It was superb play by the winger, his pace leaving the Brighton defence for dead.

After such a poor start it at least offered the visiting fans a glimmer of hope.

But, just as the Bees were getting a foot in the game, Glenn Murray's little flick put Forster in and the striker fired past Beckwith from 12 yards out for number two on 28 minutes.

At the other end, a quick Neal Bishop free kick slipped Adam Birchall in, but his shot on the turn was parried by Brighton keeper Michel Kuipers.

However, it was the Seagulls who struck again ten minutes before the interval, Virgo again climbing unmarked at the back post to head home a corner. Yet again the marking was abysmal.

Barnet almost pulled one back on 41 minutes, Ashley Carew seeing a cross smack the far post. From the rebound Adomah blasted wide when a more measured finish was required.

But it was Brighton who struck again just one minute later, Matt Richards' low free kick going through the wall and finding the corner for number four.

The half-time whistle came as a welcome relief to the stunned Bees.

The Seagulls started the second half looking just as hungry for goals, Forster driving inches wide from the edge of the box.

Tabiri let fly from all of 25 yards at the other end, but it was never really going to trouble Kuipers, the ball sailing over.

The Bees started the second half better than they started the first, and Medley saw a driven effort from a corner chested off the line by Forster on the hour. The Barnet striker did well to keep the ball down, but he was again out of luck.

The visitors were now enjoying much more possession, though Brighton, with the game long wrapped up, had arguably taken their foot off the gas a little.

But things got even worse for Barnet midway through the second half, Kenny Gillet receiving a straight red card for putting his head in the face of Murray, presumably in retaliation. Murray escaped with a yellow.

Carew, probably Barnet's best player on the night, saw a curling effort finish just wide on 75 minutes, as the Bees sought at least a consolation.

But the Barnet right-back was the hero at the other end just a few minutes later, clearing a Murray effort off the line.

Murray then saw red himself with five minutes to go for needlessly kicking the ball away, the midfielder receiving a second yellow card.

BARNET (4-4-2): Beckwith; Carew, Yakubu, Devera, Gillet; Adomah, Porter, Bishop, Tabiri (Leary 77); Birchall (St Aimie 81), Medley (Hart 82). Subs not used: Harrison, Charles, Akurang, Taj.

Attendance: 2,571.