Gillingham 0 Barnet 2 (From Times Series)

Gillingham 0 Barnet 2

4:55pm Saturday 4th April 2009

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Strikers Paul Furlong and John O'Flynn struck in either half to earn Barnet a brilliant win at the Priestfield this afternoon.

The Bees put in another excellent and professional performance to stun their promotion-chasing hosts.

In the end, surprisingly, this proved quite a comfortable victory, the hosts struggling to create chances.

The visiting defence stood strong throughout and no one could complain about the outcome, Barnet the better side on the day.

Manager Ian Hendon named the same side that drew 1-1 at Wycombe on Tuesday, while the Gillingham team included a number of ex-Bees, with Simon King, Barry Fuller and Josh Wright all starting.

It was a quiet start, though Barnet enjoyed plenty of possession.

The first shot of the game came from Paul Furlong, his effort on the turn from a central position on the edge of the box rolling wide of the post after 13 minutes.

For the Gills, Andrew Barcham did brilliantly to make space for himself down the left, but his low cross was straight at keeper Jake Cole.

But it was the visitors who struck midway through the first half. John O'Flynn held the ball up well and crossed for Furlong, who beat his marker to plant a header into the far corner past the outstretched hand of Simon Royce.

Nicky Deverdics was only just off target a few minutes later, his first-time drive from 25 yards sailing a few inches over, as Barnet continued to press.

The hosts enjoyed a better spell in the final five minutes of the opening period, but they still failed to threaten, the Bees good value for their interval lead.

Gillingham started the second half well, John Nutter hitting a volley from distance, but it was straight at Cole.

But, eight minutes in, Furlong was pulled down by Mark Bentley just inside the box and O'Flynn drilled the resulting penalty into the top corner to double the advantage.

The stunned hosts almost responded immediately, King inches away with a shot on the turn, Cole getting his fingertips to his effort following a well-worked free-kick.

There was now an urgency in Gillingham's play, the hosts certainly looking more of a threat in the second period.

Sub Mark McCammon should have done better when Cole came off his line and failed to reach the ball, but the former's attempted chip was well wide, though he still had a number of covering players to beat as well.

But it was Barnet who almost added a third on 75 minutes. Albert Adomah slipped O'Flynn down the right and he pulled the ball back into the path of Furlong. The striker hit the ball first time, but Royce pulled off a brilliant block to keep his side in the game.

The Gills just could not get going and the Bees were happy to slow the game down whenever possible.

The expected late onslaught on the Barnet goal never really materialised, the visitors comfortably holding on, though Garry Richards might have done better at the far post following a free-kick, the sub not even making contact with the ball.

BARNET (4-4-2): Cole; Devera, Yakubu, Breen, Lockwood; Adomah, Bishop, Deverdics, Bolasie (Gillet 90); Furlong, O'Flynn (Birchall 76). Subs not used: Kadoch, Tabiri, Porter.

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