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Winning streak ends
Barnet today became the first team of the new season to take any points off Hereford. United only managed a draw against a physical Barnet side. The Bulls took the lead in front of their 300 followers with a Tony James penalty (78), but where unable to hold out for the three points after Hendon free-kick was deflected past Matt Baker six minutes later.
Bees hold
Bulls with late goal
Barnet
1 - 1 Hereford United
Before the match, Graham Turner said that Barnet would provide the toughest opposition for his Hereford United team so far this season, and he was proved correct as they surrender their 100% record that has kept them at the summit of the Nationwide Conference.
The Bees held the Bulls to secure a deserved point at Underhill in front of 301 United fans in a crowd of 1,475, and Barnet boss Martin Allen will probably feel that this was the right outcome.
Tony James' penalty on seventy-six minutes put the Bulls ahead after Ben Smith was fouled in the Barnet box, and the United skipper sent goalkeeper Danny Naisbitt the wrong way, but just eight minutes later, the scores were level again. Ian Hendon's strike from all of thirty yards sailed past Matt Baker, giving the United stopper no chance, although it took a slight deflection on the way through after the initial free-kick was laid-off.
The first half was a relatively subdued affair, with neither side able to stamp their authority on proceedings. Ben Strevens nodded a Hendon cross wide at the far post on thirteen minutes, and as the half came to a close, Matt Baker had to make an agile save low to his left to push a Giuliano Grazioli effort from twenty yards around his post.
At the other end, Ben Smith forced a save out of Naisbitt with a header from ten yards while Jamie Pitman and Smith again scraped long-range efforts wide of the target. However, the Barnet defence was more than able to cope with United's attacking threat.
The main talking point came when Rob Purdie was challenged by Barnet skipper Ian Hendon, as he appeared to attack him with a lunging challenge which brought the United striker down. A yellow card was his punishment, although he was lucky to stay on the field of play.
In the second period, Smith's dipping shot from thirty yards sailed inches over the crossbar, while Baker had to save from a Grazioli header after Joe Gamble had provided the ammunition. The Bulls then had a long-range Michael Rose effort pushed wide by Naisbitt, and then found the net on sixty-two when Steve Guinan fired home, but it was disallowed for an offside.
Then came the goals, James first and Hendon soon afterwards, but it looked as if a winner could be found, particularly when six minutes of added time was played. However, the best effort came from Barnet's Hendon again, but his low free-kick from thirty yards found its way through the Hereford defence, only for Baker to push it behind.
The game as a whole was relatively scrappy, but both sides should be relatively happy with the outcome, which leaves Hereford in second after Aldershot took over top spot.
Written by Terry Goodwin - 23rd August 2003.
| Barnet | Hereford United |
| Danny Naisbitt | Matt Baker |
| Mark Rooney | Ryan Green |
| Simon King | Michael Rose |
| Ian Hendon (captain) | Jamie Pitman |
| Chris Plummer | Andy Tretton |
| Danny Maddix | Tony James (captain) |
| Guy Lopez (off, 85 minutes) | Danny Williams |
| Tony Taggart (off, 78 minutes) | Ben Smith |
| Ben Strevens (off, 56 minutes) | Rob Purdie (off, 62 minutes) |
| Giuliano Grazioli | Steve Guinan (off, 90 minutes) |
| Joe Gamble | Paul Parry |
| Subs | Subs |
| Ricky Millard | Ben Scott |
| Lewis Hogg (on, 85 minutes) | Richard Teesdale |
| Mark Williams (on, 56 minutes) | Daniel Carey-Bertram (on, 62 minutes, off 79 minutes) |
| Norman Sylla (off, 78 minutes) | Dean Craven (on, 90 minutes) |
| Neil Saunders | David Brown (on, 79 minutes) |
| Yellow cards | Yellow cards |
| Ian Hendon (foul, 6 minutes) | Michael Rose (foul, 31 minutes) |
| Joe Gamble (dissent, 90 minutes) | Ben Smith (foul, 82 minutes) |
| Danny Williams (foul, 88 minutes) | |
| Red cards | Red cards |
| - | - |
| Scorers | Scorers |
| Ian Hendon (84 minutes) | Tony James (penalty, 76 minutes) |
| Man of the Match | Tony James |
| Attendance | 1,475 |
| Referee | Mr. M. McCoy (Herne Bay) |