Bees are safe

8:31pm Saturday 6th May 2006

Rushden & Diamonds 1 Barnet 2 . . .

In the end the result did not matter.

But Barnet secured their League Two survival in style with a professional performance at Nene Park this afternoon.

The three points gained were not required, as Oxford slipped to defeat in their must-win game and now join Rushden in the Conference next season.

The Bees knew a win would guarantee safety and they can take much encouragement from the fact they kept their end of the bargain, Liam Hatch and Nicky Bailey striking within five minutes of each other early in the second half.

Though Rushden pulled one back five minutes from time through Simeon Jackson, Barnet were good value for the win.

Delighted manager Paul Fairclough said: "It was a great performance. It was the sort of away performance we've been threatening for the past three months. We looked like a very good team today."

He added: "I believe we had the most difficult fixture of everyone this afternoon. Rushden had nothing to lose but we responded magnificently."

And Fairclough also praised the 1,500 travelling Barnet fans.

"I'm so pleased for them and everyone at the club," he said.

Chairman Tony Kleanthous added: "The supporters were absolutely fantastic. They are the best supporters in the world."

Indeed, they never stopped singing all afternoon and created a party atmosphere.

Barnet started well, though apart from a couple of Tresor Kandol efforts, they never really looked like scoring in the opening 45 minutes.

On the other hand, nor did Rushden and the visiting defence looked more than comfortable.

The Bees really took the game to their hosts after the break and were instantly rewarded. Just five minutes had gone when Paulo Vernazza floated a ball to the back post. It was too high for the covering defender and Hatch had time to chest the ball down and plant it into the far corner from close in.

Within five minutes, Bailey had doubled the lead and safeguarded Barnet's future. Dean Sinclair saw keeper Danny Crane spill his shot from the edge of the box and Bailey was the only player to react, stroking home the rebound from close range.

It was now all the Bees and they played with a swagger reminiscent of earlier in the season when they had taken the division by storm.

Hatch headed a Bailey corner just over and Sinclair should have been awarded a penalty when he was tripped trying to reach a Kandol cross.

Sinclair was also close with a glancing header six minutes from time. Rushden looked like they had long given up but they were handed a lifeline out of the blue a minute later. A free-kick was played back to Jackson on the angle of the box and he drove the ball low and hard through a crowd of players to give Ross Flitney little chance.

It would have been an injustice if Rushden and forced an equaliser in the closing stages, but Barnet were not troubled again and the fans were left to celebrate their first away win since August and, more importantly, Football League survival.

BARNET (4-4-2): Flitney; Hendon, Warhurst, King, Gross; Sinclair, Hessenthaler, Vernazza, Bailey; Hatch (Norville 80), Kandol. Subs not used: Reed, Batt, Soares, Grazioli.

Attendance: 4,174.

Best Bee: Nicky Bailey.

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