Barnet 4 Bradford City 1 (From Times Series)

Barnet 4 Bradford City 1

4:55pm Saturday 21st February 2009 in

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Barnet went goal crazy at Underhill this afternoon to give Ian Hendon his first win since taking charge of the Bees.

Promotion-chasing Bradford came into the game on the back of four consecutive clean sheets, but the rampant hosts put in a superb performance to record their first home win since early October.

Leading 2-0 at the interval, the Bees continued to attack in the second half to stun Stuart McCall's high-flying Bantams.

Albert Adomah, John O'Flynn, Yannick Bolasie and Joe Devera all weighed in with goals, producing the sort of afternoon the home fans have been a long time waiting for.

Barnet made just one change from the side that lost at Notts County, Nicky Deverdics coming into the midfield for the suspended Mark Hughes.

City had a great chance after three minutes when Steve Jones was freed down the left, but, with keeper Lee Harrison coming out to meet him, the winger tripped over his own feet.

At the other end, almost immediately, Yannick Bolasie forced keeper Rhys Evans to push out a shot.

Graeme Lee had a header for Bradford from a corner, but he failed to keep it down, while Neal Bishop saw Evans comfortably deal with a low shot from the edge of the box.

It was a lively start, with the play switching from end to end.

After a quarter of an hour, Jones got a decent cross in which Peter Thorne met first time, but his flicked effort from eight yards sailed well over.

Barnet responded, Paul Furlong rising at the back post to meet a John O'Flynn cross, but the ball was headed back across the six-yard box and no one was on hand to apply the final touch, the Bantams clearing the danger.

Midway through the half, Thorne rose to meet a Nicky Law free-kick, but his downward header was hacked off the line.

But it was the Bees who struck on 24 minutes. Up for a corner, Gary Breen played Albert Adomah in, the two playing a neat one-two just inside a crowded box, before Adomah buried the ball low under Evans into the far corner from 12 yards.

Furlong almost added a second, arriving to meet a Deverdics corner, but his bullet header was wide.

Barnet were playing some good football, the goal giving them an extra lift.

City had a chance to equalise ten minutes before the interval, but Thorne failed to lift the ball over Harrison after an Ismail Yakubu mistake.

And, five minutes from the break, O'Flynn stole in to glance home a Matt Lockwood free-kick with his head to double the advantage.

Bradford took just ten minutes of the second half to pull one back. Law sent over a free-kick that came to Thorne. His shot looped into the air and Michael Boulding appeared to be the last Bradford player to get a touch before the ball crossed the line, Barnet's Bishop unable to keep it out.

But the hosts restored their two-goal cushion within a minute. Adomah got to the by-line and pulled the ball back for Furlong to shoot, though it was Yannick Bolasie who stuck out a boot to divert the ball home from close range.

And Barnet added a fourth on 62 minutes through an unlikely source, full-back Joe Devera bursting into the box and drilling a low left-foot shot under Evans.

Adomah could have made it five on the break, but Evans blocked his shot after the winger was put in the clear.

Now in full control, O'Flynn also came close with a shot on the turn, the ball finishing just off target.

Furlong headed just wide, as the hosts kept turning the screw, looking for even more goals in the closing stages.

With three minutes to go, Evans got down low to turn away an O'Flynn free-kick, the visitors having long given up hope.

BARNET (4-4-2): Harrison; Devera, Yakubu, Breen, Lockwood; Adomah, Bishop, Deverdics, Bolasie (Gillet 88); Furlong, O'Flynn (Birchall 90). Subs not used: Kadoch, Leary, Porter.

Attendance: 2,445 (701 visiting fans).