Bees go top with Bank Holiday win

7:30pm Monday 30th August 2004

Canvey Island 0 Barnet 1 . . .

A brilliant solo effort from Dean Sinclair was enough to sink Canvey and lift the Bees to the top of the Conference.

Sinclair struck in the 27th minute to make it a superb 13 points from a possible 15.

Barnet had to defend for long periods, but still created the better chances and fully deserved their win.

Bees boss Paul Fairclough said: "Canvey are a good side and they won't lose many of their 21 games at home.

"They don't give much away. I've been here lots of times to watch games and I've never seen them lose.

"This was a really big win for us and there were lots of very big performances."

Fairclough had special praise for defenders Ismail Yakubu and Simon Clist, both of whom played with injuries.

"This was a very good defensive performance," he stressed.

Sinclair's winner was conjured up from nothing. There looked little danger for the home team when he found himself with the ball wide on the right, but he beat his marker with ease and fired past Danny Potter from a tight angle when most were expecting him to cross.

Liam Hatch then had two excellent chances to seal the points. The striker placed the ball inches wide of the post with just Potter to beat on the half-hour and then came even closer with a second effort two minutes later after a brilliant run.

Ricky Millard again pulled off some important saves at the other end as Canvey briefly rallied. Neil Gregory saw him tip over a 25-yard effort and then put a diving header at the far post wide when he should have hit the target.

There were few chances after the break. Giuliano Grazioli saw a shot on the turn from close range brilliantly turned over by Potter on the hour and then should have wrapped it up seven minutes from the end, but the keeper again denied him after Richard Graham had put the striker through on goal.

It could have been costly when former Bees trialist Ben Sedgemore rose to head the ball towards the top corner deep into injury time, but Millard tipped it over to secure the points.

BARNET (4-4-2): Millard; Hendon, Yakubu, King, Clist; Strevens, Sinclair (Lopez 90), Lee, Graham; Grazioli, Hatch.

Attendance: 1,230.

Best Bee: Ismail Yakubu.