Barnet 2
(Marriott 42′, Mason-Clark 65′ pen)
United 1
(Little 59′)
A goal in each half for the home side condemned United to defeat at The Hive on Saturday afternoon.
Adam Marriott opened the scoring in the closing stages of the first half, minutes after Sinclair Armstrong had a goal chalked off by the officials for offside. It was United’s captain, Armani Little who levelled the scores in the 59th minute before Ephron Mason-Clark converted from the spot to secure the points for Barnet.
Gary Johnson made two changes to the squad. Upon his return from international duty, Sinclair Armstrong took the place of Dan Holman in the starting eleven and Dan Martin returned to the bench in place of Chiori Johnson.
The hosts were quick out of the blocks; in the second minute Shaun MacDonald was forced to save an on target Barnet header. Minutes later United threatened at the other end when a long ball from Ben Wynter just evaded an advancing Sinclair Armstrong and found its way through to the ‘keeper.
In the eighth minute a dangerous Barnet cross was well caught by MacDonald who rose above the onrushing Barnet attack to claim.
The home side went close in the 19th minute when Barnet played up the left flank before a goal bound shot was well blocked by Joe Lewis.
United continued to defend well and three successive Barnet shots in the 24th minute were well blocked by the United defence to deny the home side the lead.
Mason-Clark controlled the ball well and found himself through on goal in the 33rd minute and it was a great save by MacDonald to deny the midfielder. Two minutes later a superb overhead kick from Armstrong found its way into the back of the net before the referee’s assistant flagged for offside.
The Bee’s continued to pressure the United defence and managed to break through three minutes before half time. A corner was whipped into the box and found Marriott at the near-post who was able to flick his header into the net to give the hosts the lead.
United made two changes at the start of the second half and Gary Johnson’s side immediately pushed for an equaliser, six minutes after the interval a high free kick from Wynter just inside the Barnet half was flicked on by Lolos before falling to Armstrong whose effort forced Aston Oxborough to get down and make the save.
The hosts came close to extending their lead five minutes later however when Mason-Clark found himself through on goal, one on one with MacDonald but was flagged for offside.
A United equaliser came in the 59th minute when Little was brought down ten yards outside the Barnet box, the midfielder then stepped up and expertly planted the free kick into the top left corner, a tremendous finish.
In the 63rd minute a corner from Little found Armstrong in the centre, but his low driven effort, which was on target, was deflected just wide.
Two minutes later, substitute Ali Omar was deemed to have fouled Mason Bloomfield inside the United penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot. Mason-Clark cooly sent MacDonald the wrong way to lead 2-1. Four minutes later a great save from MacDonald denied the hosts a third.
United’s best chance of the half came in the 68th minute when a long throw from Dean Moxey found Joe Lewis in the centre but his glancing header was just palmed over the bar by Oxborough.
The remainder of the game was end to end and in the 84th minute Gary Johnson’s side went close again; a close range effort from Armstrong was just palmed away by the keeper before the Barnet defence managed to clear.
In stoppage time it was the hosts who nearly added to their tally, when a deflected shot from Mason-Clark forced a goal-line clearance from Moxey.
Barnet: 27. Aston Oxborough, 5. Jamie Turley, 8. Mitch Brundle, 11. Ephron Mason-Clark, 14. Adam Marriott, 15. Reiss Greenidge, 16. Kian Flanagan (2. Jordan Thomas), 18. Wesley Fonguck (7. Rob Hall 83′), 19. Harry Taylor, 23. Sam Beard, 28. Sam Woods (9. Mason Bloomfield 60′).
SUBS NOT USED: 24. Jake Askew (GK), 6. Ben Richards-Everton.
Yellow Cards: Woods 47′, Marriott 58′, Mason-Clark 82′, Oxborough 90+3′.
United: 37. Shaun MacDonald, 2. Ben Wynter, 4. Tom Lapslie, 10. Armani Little (c), 15. Harry Perritt (5. Ali Omar HT’), 16. Keelan O’Connell (30. Dan Holman HT’), 19. Klaidi Lolos, 21. Dean Moxey, 25. Sinclair Armstrong 27. Byron Moore (11. Jake Andrews 73′), 31. Joe Lewis.
SUBS NOT USED: 1. Mark Halstead, 3. Dan Martin.
Yellow Cards: Omar 64′, MacDonald 84′.