Pre-match
Had you been to Underhill before?
Yes, I had, for the last two
seasons running (a 3-0 and a 1-0 win for us). It’s a ground I’ve always really
enjoyed visiting, especially under the floodlights, as there’s something very
atmospheric about the place. I’ll be really sad to see Barnet move out at the
end of the season.
How did you get to the game?
The same as most – a half hour
trip on the delightful Northern Line! As always, very easy to find from the
station.
The match
Whereabouts in the ground did you sit/stand?
I was in the away section,
naturally, and in the terraced section along the side of the pitch. I’ve always
thought the view was slightly better from there than in the seats, although
there’s always a pillar right where you don’t need it! A fairly reasonable
price to get in, though, and a decent programme.
What did you make of the game?
It was a tale of two halves from
our perspective. I don’t think it’s unfair to suggest we deserved a goal in the
first half. Some of our build-up and approach play was excellent, and our two
wingers were giving the Barnet full-backs a torrid time. It was almost constant
Torquay pressure for long spells, as we bombarded the box with crosses, but we
just didn’t take our chances when they came, rarely managing even to hit the
target. When we did manage to do so, Graham Stack was found to be in excellent
form.
We started the second half
brightly, but that only lasted for the first five or ten minutes. You could see
the Bees were starting to grow in confidence a little, and, although they
didn’t create a great deal, you could sense a Barnet goal coming the longer the
match went on.
Of course it did and, as much as
our players and manager have repeatedly said after the game on Twitter and in
interviews about how we were robbed, you can’t complain if you don’t take your
chances.
Who (from either side) do you think deserved to be man
of the match?
This is a tough one, as nobody
particularly stood out on either side for me. I think, for us, our man of the
match would one of our two centre backs, Brian Saah or Aaron Downes, both of
which had an excellent game. They dealt with everything that came their way,
and looked as imperious as they have all season.
For Barnet, I think it’s got to
be Graham Stack. The few times we actually managed to get a shot on target, he
thwarted us with some excellent saves, which he made look routine and ordinary.
Very impressive.
Post-match
Was the score line a fair reflection on the game?
I don’t think so, and neither I
think could any Barnet fan in their heart of hearts. A draw would probably have
been fair as, although we dominated the game, no team deserves to win if they
miss that many chances.
Who do you play next, and how do you think you’ll get
on?
We have Oxford away on Saturday.
I’ll be there and, to be frank, I’m not expecting much. It’s a tough place to
go at the best of times – cold, windy, open and with a large and noisy crowd
behind the home – and we’ll now be without injured keeper Michael Poke and Rene
Howe, making it a tricky prospect indeed. Whilst they’re not having their
greatest season, I think I’d take a draw if it was offered now.
Ratings
Cost of match day ticket
Expensive but par for the course
nowadays ––– 7/10
Purchases made at ground
Programme was good...never bother
with football ground food anymore ––– 7/10
View
Not too bad, but the pillars do
get in the way, especially when shooting towards the far end ––– 6/10
Quality of football
Decent. We were good, and great
to watch Edgar Davids at work, too ––– 8/10
Overall experience
Nice evening despite the result.
Be a shame not to visit Underhill again ––– 8/10
Total ––– 36/50
And you can follow John on
Twitter @johncadigan
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