Barnet 3 Darlington 1 (From Times Series)

Barnet 3 Darlington 1

4:54pm Saturday 7th November 2009 in Sport By Paul Wreyford

Barnet eased into the second round of the FA Cup with another solid performance on home soil.

The Bees saw off the Quakers in the league just two weeks ago, and it was the same story at Underhill this afternoon.

A John O'Flynn brace and a rare Micah Hyde goal proved enough against League Two's bottom club.

Barnet can now look forward to tomorrow's second-round draw, knowing they are now just one game from a possible lucrative clash with a Premier League outfit.

Manager Ian Hendon made two changes from the side that lost to Chesterfield seven days ago.

Top scorer O'Flynn came in for Jake Hyde, while Ahmed Deen replaced Joe Devera at right-back.

Darlington had the first chance, Matty Plummer allowed a free header at the near post from a corner, but fortunately for the Bees he was wide.

And it was the hosts who struck first on 18 minutes. O'Flynn played a one-two with Paul Furlong and the Irishman, justifying his re-call, calmly placed the ball into the far corner from eight yards out as keeper Nick Liversedge attempted to narrow the angle.

It was Barnet's first chance of the game and a big blow for the Quakers, who had started quite well.

Apart from the goal, the first half produced very little for either set of fans to get excited about. Chances were at a premium and the first 45 minutes was very short on quality.

However, just three minutes of the second period had elapsed when the hosts struck again.

Mark Hughes swung over a cross and Furlong stretched to pull the ball back into the path of Micah Hyde who simply slotted the ball over the line from just a few yards out, the Darlington defence having gone AWOL.

The Bees were now cruising and Yannick Bolasie had a chance to make it three, but his diving header was well wide after the winger had nipped in front of his marker.

The visitors' heads had already dropped, Barnet now starting to get into their stride and looking for more goals.

But there was a warning for the hosts on the hour, when James Collins forced Jake Cole to push over a drive, the Quakers desperate for a lifeline.

And Cole then had to pull off an even better save to deny Simon Thomas.

But, within a minute, midway through the second half, it was game over. Deen delivered a superb cross to the far post and O'Flynn brilliantly guided his header back across goal into the corner.

Poor Darlington knew their luck was out when Thomas saw Cole save another drive, before the ball was hacked off the line following a goalmouth scramble.

But they finally found the net 16 minutes from time, sub Mor Diop finding the corner with a crisp drive from a central position.

And Diop fired wide again on 80 minutes, Barnet getting a little sloppy at the back, the Quakers lifted by their goal.

However, there was no way back for the visitors, the Bees holding firm to complete the job.

BARNET (4-4-2): Cole; Deen, Yakubu (Kamdjo 67), Breen, Gillet; Adomah (Jarrett 72), Hughes, M Hyde, Bolasie (Deverdics 87); O'Flynn, Furlong. Subs not used: Viner, Leach, Hart, J Hyde.

Attendance: 1,654.