FULL-TIME: Barnet 1 Bury 2 (From Times Series)

FULL-TIME: Barnet 1 Bury 2

4:56pm Saturday 20th September 2008 in Sport By Paul Wreyford

Two late Bury goals left Barnet still looking for their first win of the season.

Albert Adomah edged the Bees in front early in the second half, but the Shakers fought back with two strikes within eight minutes.

In truth, the high-flying visitors perhaps deserved the points, having dominated the first half. But the hosts took control in the second period, only to throw it away in the final 15 minutes.

Barnet made just one change from the side that drew 1-1 with Morecambe last week, with Nicky Deverdics returning to the midfield following injury. New signing John O'Flynn, who also returned to training this week, had to settle for a place on the bench.

The first chance fell to Bury, Andy Morrell sneaking in at the back post ahead of Joe Devera and planting a header goalwards, but keeper Lee Harrison pushed it out for a corner.

Brian Barry-Murphy then volleyed just wide from the edge of the box, the visitors starting strongly.

The Shakers continued to create the problems, Andy Bishop forcing Harrison to tip over a header. From the corner, Ismail Yakubu did well to block Bishop as he lined up to shoot.

The Bees were struggling to get out of their own half and had to wait until the 27th minute for their first opening. Albert Adomah burst down the right and pulled the ball back for Cliff Akurang, whose clever back-heel from close range almost caught out Wayne Brown, the keeper forced into making his first save of the game.

Bury hit back and Stephen Dawson saw Harrison stick out a hand to stop his low drive from 20 yards.

Barnet were resorting to long balls forward, but they were meat and drink for giant defender Ben Futcher.

The visitors still looked the likelier to break the deadlock and almost did five minutes before the break, a close-range effort from a corner somehow blocked by Harrison on the line.

It was easy to see why Bury started the day second in the table. They had controlled the first half and only lacked a goal, the Bees much the happier to be going in at the interval level.

Barnet started the second half much brighter, and Adomah had a shot blocked by a defender after a Deverdics cross was only half-cleared.

It proved to be a taste of what was to come.

With just five minutes gone, the Bees were in front. A long Harrison clearance was flicked on and hit Adam Birchall on the back as he headed for goal. The ball broke kindly for the chasing Adomah, who drilled a low shot confidently past Brown from a central position just inside the box.

It was perhaps cruel on Bury, for all their first-half efforts.

The home side were now in control, the goal having given them a spring in their step.

Kenny Gillet did well to get to the byline, but Brown intercepted his pull-back, as Barnet went in search of a second.

And it should have been two on 65 minutes, Akurang wasting a great chance. Birchall's cross deflected to the striker, but, with just the keeper to beat, he headed it tamely at him from all of six yards.

Bury were now struggling to create chances, a complete turnaround from the first half.

Birchall brought down a Gillet ball down well on 73 minutes, but shot weakly at Brown.

And, one minute later, the Shakers were level, scoring from their first chance of the second period, Bishop planting the ball into the far corner from 16 yards.

Now the visitors had the wind in their sails again, with sub Ryan Cresswell planting a header wide from a corner with ten minutes to go.

Barnet manager Paul Fairclough threw on strikers O'Flynn and Elliott Charles in a bid to revitalise the Bees, who had taken a step back following the Bury equaliser.

But, with eight minutes to go, the Shakers were in front. Morrell, with his back to goal, turned and shot, the ball deflecting off Yakubu and leaving the wrongfooted Harrison with no chance.

The hosts tried to rally in the closing stages, but created nothing of note.

BARNET (4-4-2): Harrison; Carew, Yakubu, Devera, Gillet; Adomah, Bishop, Deverdics (Leary 83), Nicolau; Birchall (O'Flynn 80), Akurang (Charles 80). Subs not used: Beckwith, Porter, Leary, Charles, O'Flynn.

Attendance: 1,995.