Stanley hit Bees for four (From Times Series)

Stanley hit Bees for four

10:04pm Saturday 19th February 2005

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Accrington Stanley 4 Barnet 1 . . .

A rampant Accrington swept below-par Barnet aside this afternoon to put another dent in the Bees' title challenge.

And if goalkeeper Scott Tynan had not pulled off some superb saves this could have been an even bigger hammering.

The Barnet number one pulled off save after save to frustrate the hosts, but they still finished comfortable winners.

Their front three of Lee McEvilly, Paul Mullin and Rory Prendergast ran rings round a shaky Barnet defence in a game full of chances.

But the Bees also played their part and their cavalier attitude made for an entertaining, if fruitless, encounter.

The Bees started the better and Simon King might have scored in the first minute, but his header from a Simon Clist corner went well over.

The hardworking Liam Hatch then made a superb run down the left before firing across the face of the goal.

Both sides looked in the mood for attacking and the hosts went one up with their first real chance on 12 minutes.

Ismail Yakubu thwarted McEvilly down the left, but, instead of clearing, allowed the striker to dispossess him and McEvilly fired low under Tynan from an acute angle.

Tynan then pulled off two fine saves to deny Accrington a second on the half-hour. He first tipped over a Mike Flynn header and then parried an instinctive volley from Robbie Williams from the resultant corner.

Hatch was then denied at the other end by the keeper, after Giuliano Grazioli had cleverly allowed an Ian Hendon ball to go all the way through to his strike partner at the back post.

The final chances of the half fell to the hosts. Tynan flew to his right to keep out a cracking McEvilly free-kick and Prendergast headed the rebound over.

Within four minutes of the second half, Tynan had blocked Prendergast at his near post and then thwarted Stephen Jagielka after the midfielder had beaten the offside trap.

Dean Sinclair had to head a Flynn header off the line from the corner that followed.

Barnet were hanging on, but, on 55 minutes, Prendergast was put through again and this time steered the ball past Tynan on the volley.

Tynan pulled off another fine save to deny Jagielka before the visitors finally began to make an impact at the other end.

Hatch came the closest, but his header from a Clist corner with 20 minutes to go was tipped on to the bar by keeper Paul Crichton and Hatch headed the rebound over.

It was game over on 84 minutes, when Mullin slotted home after Tynan had saved a McEvilly shot.

One minute later, Jagielka saw Tynan thwart him again, but this time sub Ian Craney was on hand to sweep in the rebound.

Grazioli finally struck for Barnet almost immediately from the restart, the Conference's top scorer stabbing home a Lee Roache centre, but it was too little too late.

Paul Howarth almost made it five with three minutes to go, but Tynan just got a touch to push his shot wide.

Another day to forget for the Bees, the only consolation again being Carlisle's defeat at Dagengham.

BARNET (4-4-2): Tynan; Hendon, King, Yakubu, Clist (Roache 78), Bailey, Lee, Sinclair, Graham; Grazioli, Hatch. Subs not used: Gore, Charles, Strevens, Lopez.

Attendance: 1,841.

Best Bee: Scott Tynan.

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