Grim afternoon for Bees (From Times Series)

Grim afternoon for Bees

6:39pm Saturday 27th August 2005 in

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Barnet 0 Grimsby Town 1 . . .

A goal seconds into the second half condemned Barnet to their first defeat of the season.

The Bees fought hard for an equaliser in the latter stages but failed to create too many clear-cut chances.

But they almost salvaged a point, Giuliano Grazioli seeing a last-minute header knocked off the line.

Manager Paul Fairclough was not too down after seeing his side knocked off the top of the table.

He said: "Full credit to the players. They were throwing everything at it in the last ten minutes. I'm just so proud they kept going until the end.

"They gave everything they had got."

Fairclough said he was now already looking forward to Monday's game at Wrexham.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing how we respond," he said.

The only goal came seconds after the second-half kick-off. The ball was pumped forward and sub Calvin Andrew, who came on at the break, looped a header over keeper Scott Tynan who was caught well off his line. It was the Grimsby man's first touch.

Fairclough said: "It was an horrendous start to the second half. I don't think I have ever seen a goal like it."

Neither side did enough in the opening 45 minutes to break the deadlock. Barnet were slightly the better, but only had long-range efforts from Richard Graham and Ian Hendon to show for their efforts. Keeper Steve Mildenhall was equal to both.

The Grimsby goal shocked the Bees into life but they struggled to test Mildenhall.

It was only in the final ten minutes that the Barnet fans at last began to sense an equaliser.

The Bees were also aided by the dismissal of Paul Bolland two minutes from time for two yellow cards within seconds of each other, for time-wasting and dissent.

A minute of normal time remained when sub Damian Batt found fellow sub Hatch with a ball into the box, but the striker was always stretching and he guided it just the wrong side of the post.

Another Batt ball was met by the head of Grazioli in injury time. His glancing header was heading for the far post but John McDermott was on the line to head it away.

Moments later the final whistle went and Barnet's unbeaten start to the campaign was over.

BARNET (4-5-1): Tynan; Hendon (Batt 81), King, Charles, Gross (Roache 86); Strevens (Hatch 66), Lee, Sinclair, Bailey, Graham; Grazioli.

Attendance: 2,447.

Best Bee: Anthony Charles.