Barnet v Bury Match Report
Barnet’s wait to win their first 3 points of the season continues, albeit after a well fought 1-1 draw at Underhill against Bury. The Bee’s made quite a few changes to the team that got humiliated 7-0 at Crewe the week earlier, with Phil Walsh leading the attack with Ricky Holmes starting off out on the right wing, meaning that Mark Marshall started the game on the substitutes bench. Joe Devera, back from an injury that has ruled him out of the past few games, filled in at right back.
However, in front of a measly crowd of 1,563 at Underhill, it was the visitors that started off the brighter side and came close to taking the lead after 27 minutes when Andy Haworth cracked a shot from 25 yards that was well held onto by Jake Cole in the Barnet goal. It wasn’t until the 35th minute when Barnet had their first noticeable chance of the game, but Glen Southam could only fire over the bar from the edge of Bury’s penalty area. But the Shakers were not shaken and a few minutes later veteran centre back Efe Sodje rose highest from a corner and forced a good save from Cole who tipped the ball behind for a corner.
The second half proved more eventful, and Bury eventually made the breakthrough soon after the interval when Ryan Lowe, against the run of play, beat the offside trap to slot the ball past Cole into the bottom left hand corner of the net. Barnet had a very good chance to equalise 15 minutes later after Southam’s shot was parried into a crowd of bodies before a scramble occurred and Mark Byrne, on loan from Nottingham Forest, headed over under pressure from a couple of yards out.
The home team eventually did make the pressure pay off and Mark Marshall scored a free kick from long range which Bury’s goalkeeper, Cameron Belford, really should have saved with 15 minutes of the game remaining.
The match finished with the scores one a piece, and favourites for relegation, Barnet, will see the outcome as 1 point gained towards their end of season total. Even with 42 games remaining, perennial promotion hopefuls Bury will see the game as 2 points lost.
Adam Hern
