Barnet 1 Port Vale 2 (From Times Series)

Barnet 1 Port Vale 2

4:54pm Saturday 2nd May 2009 in

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Barnet failed to end their season on a high at Underhill this afternoon.

And it was another day to forget for the on-loan Abu Ogogo. He has only played a handful of games for the Bees, but has now been sent off twice.

He was red-carded on the stroke of half-time for a deliberate handball, Vale also scoring the resultant penalty to move into a comfortable 2-0 lead.

Try as they might, the ten-man Bees could not claw back the deficit after the interval, though there was at least a late goal for Danny Hart, the home side's best player.

However, it was a rather flat and disjointed Barnet performance, with very few home players doing themselves justice.

Barnet manager Ian Hendon made a number of changes, giving some of his fringe players the chance. In came the likes of Cliff Akurang and Luke Medley up front, while there was a rare start for Danny Hart in midfield.

It meant Albert Adomah, who had played in every game up until today, was not even on the bench.

Vale created the first opening after just two minutes, Louis Dodds bursting through after a neat interchange of passes before firing wide.

Medley had the home side's first effort from a tight angle, but keeper Chris Martin got down to block.

Nicky Deverdics also saw a shot flash just wide from the edge of the area, after a corner was only half cleared.

But it was the visitors who struck on 11 minutes, Dodds finding the bottom corner from 20 yards, keeper Ran Kadoch unable to reach the ball even at full stretch.

Medley almost equalised soon after, but again Martin blocked his close-range shot, while Akurang hit a volley straight at the keeper, the Bees responding well to the shock Vale opener.

After a bright start, things went rather quiet with little in the way of goalmouth action.

The next chance did not come until the 38th minute, Dodds seeing a shot deflected just over the bar.

But, a minute before the break, things got worse for the Bees. Abu Ogogo and Kadoch hesitated and allowed Danny Glover to nip in and poke the ball past the keeper. Ogogo got back to claw the ball off the line with his hand, giving away a penalty and receiving a red card in the process.

Kadoch saved Glover's spot kick, but the Port Vale player tucked home the rebound to give the Valiants a two-goal lead at the interval.

Ten-man Barnet started the second half with just three at the back.

The Bees were clearly missing Adomah and Yannick Bolasie on the wings, though Hart did supply a number of good balls into the box from the right.

However, the hosts, despite their pressure, never really tested the Vale keeper.

Vale's James Lawrie did put the ball in the net with 20 minutes to go, but the flag was already up.

The second half was something of a non-event, with the visitors content to sit back and hold on to their lead with ease.

The first real effort of the second half came from sub Max Porter, playing his final game, but he was denied a leaving present by a flying save from Martin in the closing stages.

Finally, in stoppage time, Hart cracked home a super drive from the edge of the box after Kadoch had come up for a corner, but it was too little, too late.

BARNET (4-4-2): Kadoch; Ogogo, Devera, Leary, Gillet; Hart, Bishop, Hughes, Deverdics (Nicolau 67); Akurang (Porter 86), Medley (Birchall 55). Subs not used: Harrison, Tabiri.

Attendance: 2,305.