Famous Barnet Game Original Team sheet

On a day when we are playing Barnet away,we are always going to think back to our most famous game that happened on May 5th 2001.

No TUFC fans will be locked out today and no one will have to climb and trees to try and see some of the action.

Below is a good match report that will bring back all the memories for you.


Division Three; Saturday May 5, 2001.
Barnet 2 Torquay United 3

Barnet: L.Harrison (D.Naisbitt 2), L.Flynn (F.Toms 45), S.Stockley, G.Heald, m.Arber, D.Currie, J.Doolan, D.Brown (m.Gower 45), W.Godhind, W.Purser, T.Richards.

Torquay: S.Jones, R.Green, m.Holmes, J.Aggrey, L.Russell, J.Rees (m.O'Brien 17), R.Kell, K.Hill, T.Bedeau, E.Williams (J.Gayle 68), D.Graham (A.Watson 90).

Match Report: With both Carlisle United and Halifax Town having scraped further points in midweek it meant that the relegation battle at the foot of Division Three came down to a straight fight between Barnet and Torquay United on the final day of league action in 2001.

There would be no waiting around for scores filtering through from other grounds and no uncertainty as to how they stood compared to their rivals as the fixture computer had conveniently arranged for the two protagonists to meet at Underhill and this was now, in essence, sudden death.

Torquay, one point better off, would be safe with a draw, Barnet needed the win.

Barnet's modest stadium was unusually cramped with a visiting contingent inside the ground numbering around 2,000 with several hundred more locked out.

Barnet were bringing their 10th season as a league club to a close and hoping to prolong their stay. For Torquay this was just another in a long list of scrapes with disaster which so far they had somehow managed to come through unscathed.

Although the day was bright and sunny there was a strong wind blowing straight down Underhill's famous slope and many onlookers probably thought that the team which made the most of this advantage would win the day. Torquay would be the first to have the chance.

Within moments of the start Barnet suffered a body blow when their keeper Lee Harrison twisted his ankle so badly during his first piece of action that he had to limp off to be replaced by Danny Naisbitt.

The home side looked intent on sitting back and keeping things tight in the early stages and hoping to chase victory later when the slope and wind would be to their advantage.

This was a reasonable theory but there was nothing convincing about their defensive efforts from the start and the powerful Torquay strikers David Graham and Eifion Williams immediately began to cause problems marauding down the hill.

There was nothing subtle about Torquay's early pressure but, roared on by their huge following, there was plenty to encourage them.

The Barnet defence was called upon to repel a succession of long balls down the middle and deep centres from out wide. With the ball continually coming back at them they found it increasingly difficult to escape the edge of their own penalty area.

Although the visitors had not created anything clear cut it was intense pressure and a Torquay goal soon began to look inevitable. On ten minutes it arrived.

Yet again Barnet were unable to clear effectively and when the ball dropped to Jason Rees, just over 20 yards from goal, his instant half volley hit the jackpot, speeding low into the net beyond Naisbitt's despairing dive.

It would be Rees' last meaningful action before injury forced him from the field shortly afterwards but his contribution was already a vital one.

This goal had given Torquay further security against the possibility of relegation but they were in no mood to sit back on what they had and continued to pour forward down the slope towards the Barnet goal.

Although Barnet's central defensive pair of Greg Heald and Mark Arber were unable to subdue the rampant Graham and Williams they were at least competitive. In midfield Torquay were completely dominant with Richard Kell and Kevin Hill first to everything.

Barnet held out until midway through the half before conceding again. Another Torquay corner was swung over by Paul Holmes and Hill rose above his marker to power a header into the roof of the net high above Sam Stockley leaping vainly on the goalline.

If Barnet were to have any chance of coming back for the victory which they so despreately needed then it was imperative that the scoreline didn't degenerate further before the interval.

The home side tried to mount some kind of response and were offered some encouragement by the efforts of Darren Currie who made inroads into the Torquay defence on a couple of occasions with his dribbling ability and eye for a pass.

The possibility of a Barnet goal before half time still seemed remote, however, until the referee decided to penalise Jimmy Aggrey with a tough handball decision and, four minutes from the interval, the home side had a penalty.

The kick was trusted to Currie but his nerve deserted him at the vital moment and having chosen the right way to dive Stuart Jones could hardly fail to stop the weak kick.

If this wasn't enough of a body blow for Barnet they then presented their visitors with a third goal on the stroke of half time. Lee Flynn failed to cut out Kell's centre and Graham was on hand to volley home gleefully at the far post.

Half Time: Barnet 0 Torquay United 3

Barnet now had the slope and the wind at their backs but needing four goals to have any chance of getting the result they needed it would still need something of a miracle for them to prevail.

Manager John Still did not hesitate in making his last play, using both his remaining substitutions at the break. Still threw on two wingers in Mark Gower and Frazer Toms for a midfielder and a full back in a positive, if somewhat desperate, move.

Barnet immediately took over possession and territory but without looking overly threatening. Their best early attempt came from distance as Stockley sent in a stinging drive but Jones pulled out a good save which would have looked even better when the cameramen had developed their snaps.

Any semblance of belief in the home side had just about worn out by the hour mark when Ryan Green suddenly looped a strange header beyond his own keeper from Currie's centre and Barnet had just the briefest glimmer of hope.

Their attacks became more vigorous again as they launched an aerial bombardment. So close to safety, however, Torquay were in no mood to buckle now and with Jones commanding his area well it still seemed as though the south coast club would get through the game with minimum fuss.

Just when hope was again all but extinguished Barnet received another timely boost. Jones this time lost possession under severe challenge as he came to claim another centre from Stockley and Heald was forward from defence to bundle home.

The referee surprisingly ignored the vehement protests of the visitors and allowed the goal to stand. Barnet now needed two more goals in fifteen minutes to save themselves.

More and more bodies piled forward down the slope as balls rained forward towards the Torquay goal but time and again they were headed or booted back from where they came.

All the space was now at the other end and when one punt forward found the substitute John Gayle completely on his own Torquay had the ideal chance to wrap up victory for certain.

Gayle slipped his shot wide with only Naisbitt to beat, however, and Barnet's hope remained flickering for a few minutes more but the increasingly confident cheers from the visiting contingent as balls were sent to safety over the stands told its own story.

The only remaining incidents of note concerned two streakers who decided to get a closer look at the action and called Naisbitt into more frantic action than the Torquay forwards had managed since half time.

By the end the Barnet challenge, which had been disappointingly limp at best, was spent and it was their fans who now had to face up to the reality of another spell in the Conference.

The pitch was swamped by fans from both teams at the whistle although the atmosphere between them was free from animosity. Torquay were happy to be safe but were not so thrilled that it was at Barnets' expense.

Indeed the Torquay chairman was just as keen to talk about the possibility of saving Barnet's league status at the final whistle as contemplating his own sides' escape.

He was of the opinion that Chesterfield should be thrown out of the league after being found guilty of financial irregularities while there was also the possibility that a proposed merger between QPR and Wimbledon could come to Barnet's rescue.

In the event there would be no stay of execution and Barnet would have to gain entry back to the league the hard way.

For Torquay there was a weekend of celebration ahead and then the probable prospect of going through it all again sometime pretty soon.

Full Time: Barnet 2 Torquay United 3