Bees go so close

9:17pm Wednesday 29th November 2000

Torquay 2 Barnet 1

Nationwide League Division Three

Barnet's faithful followers who made the 382-mile round trip to Torquay on Saturday were ecstatic when Mark Arber powered home a header from Darren Currie's corner in injury time. But their joy at salvaging a point was cut short when referee Paul Armstrong awarded a free-kick to Torquay for a foul on keeper Steve Jones.

"I didn't see a foul, and it was a disappointment after we had piled on the pressure, forcing nine corners in the second half, " said Bees' player-manager Tony Cottee.

Torquay, showing their determination to climb away from near the foot of the table, were well on top in the first half. Then Barnet hit back strongly in the last half-hour.

The Gulls provided several early scares. Habbib Sissoko shot wide when clear, and Steve Tully sent a cross shot against the post. Enterprising wing-back Tully made frequent threatening sorties. From his cross, a header from Jim Aggrey beat keeper Danny Naisbitt, but diving Rob Sawyers headed clear.

It was no surprise when Tony Bedeau punished poor defending by heading home from Tully's free-kick to give Torquay a 32nd minute lead.

Darren Currie triggered Barnet's 41st-minute equaliser with a perfectly-weighted pass to Sam Stockley, whose cross was met by Tony Richards with a powerful close range header.

Torquay regained the lead just before the interval. Stockley struggled to clear Tully's high, swirling cross from the right and Sissoko took advantage.

Barnet got their act together in the last half an hour. Heald's header from Currie's corner was tipped over the bar by keeper Jones; Frazer Toms and substitute Wayne Purser, who did well after taking over from Cottee, were unlucky not to level, and a header from Richards hit the post.

In the dying minutes, Naisbitt produced a flying save to deny Bedeau and blocked a shot from Chalqi, whose earlier header had hit the bar.

BARNET: Naisbitt; Stockley, Heald, Arber, Sawyers (Brown, 80); Niven, Doolan, Toms, Currie; Cottee (Purser 65), Richards. Subs not used: Harrison, Gledhill, Bell.

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