Last
weekend saw the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup, with the winners going
into the hat for the first round proper. Concord Rangers, of the Conference
South were the visitors to The Hive and Beachboys fan, Alan (@Bulljet) gives his thoughts in this
instalment.
Barnet (8th in
Conference) v Concord Rangers (14th in Conference South)
Previous
weekend:
Hereford 0-1 Barnet
Weston-Super-Mare 5-0
Concord Rangers
Pre-match
How did you get to the game?
I
was on the team coach, leaving Concord Island just after 11am.
What did you make of The Hive?
The
facilities looked fantastic, however the away bar seemed very new with nothing
really in there, almost as if it wasn’t finished. The stands were quality, bit
disappointed we weren’t allowed to stand behind the goal though. The Hive was
impressive for a non-league ground (although I know until last summer you were
not a non-league side!) and the pitch looked like a carpet out there!
Match
What did you make of the game?
I
was disappointed with the result, but it was a good game and made for a quality
day out.
Who (from either side) impressed you?
Your
lad Lopez, thought he played exceptionally well. The whole Barnet side moved
the ball around very well – crisp and sharp play. Was impressed with the
determination of our lads too, was a big occasion for them and they did
themselves proud.
Who (from either side) could have done
better?
The
referee! Think he missed some key decisions, like our centre back being elbowed
in the face quite clearly!
Post-match
Was the score line a fair reflection on
the game?
The
better side won that’s for sure. At half time I think the score didn’t really
give us the credit we deserved, certainly hadn’t been the sort of half to see
us 2-0 down in my eyes. But as I mentioned, Barnet were the better side, quite
clearly a full time, professional side and were in the end worthy of the
winning margin.
Who do you play next and how do you
think you’ll do?
Next
up for us is Ebbsfleet, big spenders over the summer and have proven to be a
decent side in the Skrill South this season. However we’ve already shown
ourselves to be able to hang with the big guys this season (see our 1-0 over Dover)
and a decent result is not out of the question.
Ratings
Price of match day ticket
10/10
– I think it was a great price for 4th Qualifying Round FA Cup tickets
(£10.50), I know league prices in the Skrill Premier are a lot more, so credit to
the clubs for organising the rate.
Purchases made at the ground
6/10
– I think the drinks were overpriced in the away bar, especially given the
shed-like feel of it. The food in the home bar was equally expensive however it
was worth it, a decent cheeseburger!
View
7/10
– the seated views were very good, no doubt about that. But I wanted to be able
to stand behind the goal, it’s one of the things I’ve come to love about non-league
football.
Quality of football
9/10
– both teams showed desire, attempted to play the ball along the ground and
attack, couldn’t fault it.
Overall experience
7/10
– average overall in my eyes. I think the attitude of the stewards in general
was poor when asked about standing behind the goal, and standing in general. I
know Barnet were a league club last season, but need to realise that they are
not right now, and things are different for small clubs like ours that play in
front of a couple of hundred people each week. But the football was very good,
the experience of being in the 4th Qualifying Round made up for the bar prices
and stewards!
Total = 39/50
Post Match
Round
One
Preston North End v Barnet
Following
game
Barnet v Kidderminster
Harriers
Ebbsfleet v Concord Rangers
Thanks Alan!
If
you’ve been to The Hive this season, give me a shout and you can be your club’s
voice. Additionally, if you know you’re heading down for your game, let me know
- @Luuuce_x
