The ground remains a hotch potch of structures put together in a haphazard fashion. It still very much resembles its non-league roots with policing and stewarding to match! So while the vast majority of Cherries fans were squeezed onto the main terrace running along the side of the pitch, a select few had the freedom of Barnet behind the goal!
The game was very much ours for the taking in the first half with the advantage of the slope. Mind you from a distance it seemed the Bees had Manuel Almunia in goal, while we were missing both Molesley & Fletch from last week's win. The early exchanges were dull, but Bradders gave us a little excitement with a flashing header from the right side on 10 mins that struck the crossbar. Goulding could have latched on to a through ball but seemed to back out of challenging the keeper on the edge of his box. In defence Garry, Pearce & Cooper were doing a good job in stifling the experienced Furlong who was looking for his 200th league goal.
Pitman had a chance on 25 when a defensive error allowed him a shot although straight at the keeper, anywhere else and he would have struggled to save. Pearce then had a header cleared off the line from a corner. Goulding followed up with a shot that was alas also aimed straight at the keeper. Feeney had a brief glimpse of goal but his header deflected of the Barnet centre back. Barnet ventured a few shots, all from distance, with Jalal called into action once to tip the ball over the bar. Bradders picked up the first yellow card for an untidy challenge with Danny soon following him into the ref's book. Unfortunately this was to be an oft repeated fashion in the 2nd half as the ref started to take offence at anything Bournemouth and became overly pedantic in the 2nd half. Goaless at half-time and it could so easily have been 3 and we all agreed that we would rue our missed chances.
Early in the second half Brett had a free kick turned around the post with the resultant corner wasted. Then it happened, on 50 mins after all our toiling in the first half Barnet got the slope working for them and Furlong, gifted a free header, slotted the ball past a diving Jalal - 1 nil Barnet, o the gloom!! The fans remained in good heart though and of good voice. We certainly were making the more noise and you could be mistaken for thinking it a home game!
Coops and Goulding saw yellow as we battled back, a Goulding effort was then cleared off the line. Fletch and Igoe entered the fray. Anton had a good run into the box but found no one else as his cross ended aimlessly as a throw-in. Igoe had a shot before Jalal was required to make 2 saves to keep our hopes alive. Worryingly though we seemed to lack ideas as to how to break the Barnet defence. With 5 mins left Guyett came up and went straight up front, finesse out of the window this was route one, supposedly! Bradders had a one on one but in colliding with the keeper, the ball deflected wide. Other than that we failed to break the defence, or get anywhere close to the box. It was all getting depressing.
The whistle went and we had lost. Good news was that Chester and Grimsby lost as well, so still 4 points clear, I just wish it wasn't the other Bees on Monday, but hey we play against the top sides so who knows. UTCIAD.
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AFCB: Jalal, Wiggins, Pearce, Garry, Cooper, Feeney, Hollands, Robinson, Bradbury, Goulding, Pitman
Subs: Pryce, Cummings, Fletcher (for Goulding, 65 mins), Igoe (for Feeney, 65 mins), Guyett (for Cooper, 84 mins)
Nick Wallinger, Tring