2:32pm Thursday 27th October 2005
By Paul Wreyford
Manchester United 4 Barnet 1
Carling Cup third round
They call it the theatre of dreams. But Ross Flitney's big match at Old Trafford turned into a nightmare.
The Barnet keeper was controversially sent off within two minutes for handling the ball outside his box.
And it left ten-man Barnet with an impossible task.
But the Bees still put in a superb performance and arguably had the better of the second half, Dean Sinclair netting their deserved goal 15 minutes from time.
Less than two minutes had gone when Flitney caught a ball just outside his area. Cruelly, the referee showed him the red card. It was harsh to say the least.
Manager Paul Fairclough came onto the pitch to put a consoling arm around the distraught Flitney as he departed.
Louis Soares was the unlucky man to make way for sub keeper Scott Tynan.
From the free-kick, Liam Miller curled the ball into the top corner and Tynan's first touch was to pick the ball out of the net.
The Bees thought they had equalised in the eighth minute. Giuliano Grazioli forced in an Ismail Yakubu knockdown from an Ian Hendon free-kick, but it was ruled out for offside.
At the other end, Tynan did well to push around a Kieran Richardson free-kick from a similar position to Miller's efforts.
The second came on 20 minutes and it had more than a hint of luck about it. Richardson curled a free-kick into the box that was clearly meant for his incoming forwads, but it eluded everyone and crept in at the far post.
Richardson was causing all sorts of problems and another cross beat Tynan and skimmed the bar.
The Bees had a lucky escape ten minutes from the break when Rossi saw Adam Gross clear a header off the line. Rossi then blazed well over from another great chance just before the break.
Barnet refused to let their heads drop and played some lovely passing football at times, but it was always difficult against an extra man.
They finished the half with plenty of possession and their pride still intact.
The Bees also started the second half brightly and Nicky Bailey fired over from 25 yards out after charging down a clearance.
But it was United who struck, Rossi finding the corner of the net from a Lee Martin cross in the 51st minute. Barnet continued to battle and came close midway through the half, Dwane Lee curling a free-kick just past Tim Howard's post.
They were finally rewarded on 74 minutes and it was no more than they deserved.
Gerard Pique slipped and Sinclair picked the ball up on the edge of the box and calmly rounded Howard before sliding it into the empty net. It surely produced the biggest cheer of the night.
The Bees, roared by thousands of visiting fans, were now matching United in every department and looking the stronger side.
At times it was not clear which team had the extra player.
Fairclough urged his players forward in the final ten minutes, and Bailey tried his luck from ther edge of the box, though Howard was right behind his shot.
With two minutes to go, sub Liam Hatch outpaced Wes Brown to reach a ball over the top but the referee pulled him back for a foul.
As Barnet pushed forwrad, Rossi flicked the ball into the path of Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and he rolled the ball into an empty net for the fourth.
There was still time for Barnet to surge forward at the other end and Simon King sent a looping half-volley just over Howard's bar in what was the final chance of the match.
The standing ovation the Bees received from their fans at the final whistle was no more than they deserved.
Who knows what might have happened if they had been allowed to play with 11 men?
BARNET (4-5-1): Flitney; Hendon, Yakubu, King, Gross; Soares (Tynan, 2), Lee (Batt, 87), Sinclair, Bailey, Strevens; Grazioli (Hatch, 75). Subs not used: Charles, Graham. Attendance: 43,673.
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