Lowly City crush Barnet

5:19pm Thursday 3rd March 2005

York City 2 Barnet 1
Nationwide Conference

Struggling York were not the first team to raise their game against table-topping Barnet this season and they will not be the last.

Perhaps it is not surprising the Minstermen saved arguably their best performance of the season for the league leaders. This is something the Bees are getting used to.

But, disappointingly, Paul Fairclough's side were unable to reach the level expected of a team well clear at the top.

Though Barnet had much possession, they created few good chances.

The first quarter of the game was something of a stroll and the match looked to be there for the taking.

Lee Roache forced the first save of the night on seven minutes, when he stretched to reach a Richard Graham centre.

But the Bees failed to build on York's slow start and the Minstermen were gradually allowed to get into the game.

Barnet's only other effort of the half came from Giuliano Grazioli, the striker clipping the post via a Nicky Bailey free-kick.

The deserved York opener came a minute before the interval. A lovely move carved open the Barnet defence and Kevin Donovan lifted the ball over the advancing Shane Gore.

The Bees hardly came out all guns blazing in the second half, but conjured up an equaliser with their best move of the game on 58 minutes. Dwane Lee took a Bailey ball beautifully in his stride and burst to the byline, before squaring for the prolific Grazioli to score from inside the six-yard box.

It should have inspired further sieges on the York goal, but Gore was the busier keeper. He first blocked a Jon Maloney volley with his legs before he had to pick the ball out of the net again on 69 minutes. The Barnet defenders were left appealing for offside as Maloney stole in to turn home a teasing Darren Dunning cross.

The Bees at last began to show some urgency, but never tested the keeper.

The best chance fell to sub Liam Hatch in injury time. He did superbly well to beat two players, but, when a pass looked the better option, thumped the ball well over.

BARNET (4-4-2): Gore; Hendon, King, Yakubu, Clist; Strevens, Lee, Bailey, Graham; Grazioli, Roache (Hatch 70). Subs not used: Millard, Charles, Lopez, McBean.

Hendon, Wingate & Finchley, EdgwareTown and Potters Bar Town all saw matches postponed on Tuesday night.

Hendon's game against Slough, at Windsor & Eton, was called off about an hour before kick-off, much to the anger of a number of fans who had already made the trip.

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