Wonder strikes sink Crawley

2:09pm Thursday 9th December 2004

Crawley Town 1 Barnet 3
Nationwide Conference

It was like a goal-of-the-season competition for which all three nominations came in one game.

Manager Paul Fairclough likened Dean Sinclair's thumping 30-yard cracker that sealed the points in the final minute to the famous Ronnie Radford FA Cup strike for Hereford.

Certainly, if the cameras had been at Broadfield on Tuesday, we might have been seeing it just as often on our television screens.

But the other two from Giuliano Grazioli were not bad either. The striker met a Liam Hatch cross first time on the volley and guided the ball over Phil Smith from just inside the box to give the Bees the lead on 30 minutes. It was a strike of high quality, with Smith beaten by accuracy rather than power.

Nine minutes earlier Grazioli had found the side netting from yards out, and he might have added a second just before the break, but just failed to get his foot around the ball at the far post.

The Bees were in full control at the interval and within three minutes of the restart were two up. This time it was a lovely flowing move that unlocked the home defence. Grazioli finished it by holding off a defender and lifting the ball over the keeper after Hatch had slipped him in.

But Crawley gave themselves hope on 68 minutes when Danny Davidson slid in to convert a Ben Judge cross.

The expected home onslaught never materialised, however. Barnet, in response, moved up a gear themselves and keeper Scott Tynan was not troubled again.

And the best was, of course, saved to last. As the home defence became stretched, Barnet broke and the ball bounced invitingly for Sinclair. Most would have tried to run out the clock, but the midfielder hit an instant half-volley that arrowed into the top corner to leave everyone gasping.

A wonder strike to cap another wonderful night for the Bees.

BARNET (4-4-2): Tynan; Hendon, Yakubu, King, Clist; Bailey, Lee, Sinclair, Graham; Grazioli (Strevens 81), Hatch. Subs not used: Millard, Roache, Batt, Elmes. Attendance: 2,949. Best Bee: Dwane Lee.

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