Pilgrims progress at Barnet's expense

8:31pm Saturday 1st April 2006

Boston United 2 Barnet 1 . . .

It was a case of too little too late for below-par Barnet at York Street this afternoon.

Sub Lee Roache struck with 15 minutes to go to reduce the arrears, but the hosts held on to plunge the Bees deeper into the relegation mire.

Barnet started with just Liam Hatch up front after Tresor Kandol was withdrawn in the morning for "personal reasons".

And when Hatch limped off at the start of the second half, manager Paul Fairclough threw subs Ben Strevens and later Roache up front in a bid to salvage something.

By this time, the Bees were already two down after a dreadful first-half performance. They were devoid of ideas and out-muscled in every department.

Boston took the lead after 16 minutes, Lawrie Dudfield turning home an Alan White cross from inside the six-yard box. He was unmarked.

The Pilgrims then doubled their advantage ten minutes before the interval. Keeper Ross Flitney came out to meet a deep Brad Maylett free-kick but got nowhere near the ball and Mark Greaves arrived at the back post to squeeze a header in from an acute angle.

Apart from a long-range Andy Hessenthaler volley that was pushed away by the keeper, the visitors offered nothing.

It was not much better in the second half, but Roache, who had only been on the pitch three minutes, seized on to a Strevens lay-off and then fired the ball into the bottom corner from just inside the box.

It finally galvanised the Bees and Strevens almost hooked home an equaliser from two yards during a goalmouth scramble, but keeper Michel Kuipers finally got hold of the ball virtually on the goalline.

Barry Fuller then headed a Nicky Bailey free-kick across the face of the goal, but no one was on the end of it.

The final chance fell to Ismail Yakubu, who was playing up front at this stage, but he headed a Strevens free-kick well over in the dying minutes.

Despite their late rally, Barnet, in truth, never really deserved an equaliser and were left to rue yet another disappointing away performance that was, for at least three-quarters of the game, as flat as the Lincolnshire countryside.

BARNET (4-5-1): Flitney; Hendon (Warhurst 76), Yakubu, Charles, Clist; Fuller, Sinclair, Hessenthaler (Roache 71), Vernazza, Bailey; Hatch (Strevens 52). Subs not used: Reed, Lee.

Attendance: 2,066.