Last-gasp equaliser stuns Bees

8:29pm Saturday 29th January 2005

Burton Albion 1 Barnet 1 . . .

A goal three minutes into injury time denied Barnet the three points they deserved.

The Bees dominated the second half and their lowly hosts never looked like cancelling out a 39th-minute Lee Roache strike.

But, as most of the home fans were leaving, a throw-in was flicked into the path of Darren Stride and the Burton captain volleyed into the corner.

It was cruel on Barnet, but manager Paul Fairclough was not too disheartened and preferred to praise his players for their efforts in the previous 93 minutes.

"It was another outstanding performance from the team. We dominated every area of the pitch.

"An away point is good. It was just cruel that we didn't get all three points that we deserved."

The first half was one of few chances and Roache's goal was the first Barnet shot on target.

Simon Clist swung a corner to the far post and the totally unmarked Roache hooked the ball in from close range.

The Bees took more of a grip after the interval and Roache almost made it two just a couple of minutes in, but this time steered a Nicky Bailey corner wide when he once again found himself unmarked in the six-yard box.

Burton had two long-range efforts from Aaron Webster and Craig Dudley within a minute, but, after that, it was all Barnet.

Bailey came agonisingly close on 56 minutes, but his low 25-yarder came back off the post.

Ben Strevens then diverted a Bailey free-kick across goal and just wide.

Damian Batt also had a chance to sew it up five minutes from time, but his powerful drive from a Strevens lay-off was wide of the target.

Burton were not even putting the Barnet goal under pressure in the latter stages, but somehow saved themselves right out of the blue with Stride's last-gasp equaliser.

BARNET (4-4-2): Tynan; Hendon, King, Charles, Clist; Batt, Bailey, Sinclair, Graham; Strevens, Roache.

Attendance: 1,685.