On Saturday, Barnet travel to Darlington. Barnet have not won away at Darlington since 1998. However, at Underhill, Barnet are undefeated in their last 9 meetings in this fixture. The last time that Darlington won at Underhill was in the 1994-95 season. Barnet, having won promotion from division therein 1993 had been relegated straight back down the following season, but by the time they met Darlington in February 1995, the Bees were among the play-off places. Darlington were in a lower mid-table position.
Barnet's form, however, had slipped somewhat alarmingly with only one win in the previous six games, four of which had been lost. Dougie Freedman, who had been signed from QPR in the summer, had only scored twice in 11 games having started the season with a bang.
Before the game, a few of the Barnet players, including centre-back, Linvoy Primus, had gone down with flu. Primus struggled to cope with being below his normal fitness and had to be substituted at half time. By then Barnet were already 2-0 down. Darlington went ahead after 17 minutes, when Republic of Ireland international winger, Bernie Slaven crossed for Gavin Warboys to head home from close range. Just past the hour, Darlington went two goals up when Paul Olsson split the Barnet defence with a superb ball through to Warboys. Bees' keeper, Paul Newell, bravely dived at his feet to smother the ball but it ran loose to Steve Gaughan who fired home through a crowded goalmouth.
HT: Barnet 0 Darlington 2
Terry Gibson replaced Primus at half time with Lee Hodges moving into the back four, but Darlington soon went further ahead. Olsson sent a hopeful ball forward and the dangerous Warboys outpaced Hodges and calmly slotted the ball past Newell from 15 yards. Barnet hit back soon after. Within two minutes, a Paul Wilson free kick was headed home by defender, Alan Walker. Barnet skipper, Peter Scott then shot just wide and Dougie Freedmen saw Mike Pollitt produce a flying save to keep out his header.
Just after the hour, Barnet reduced the arrears when Mark Cooper headed home a Carl Hoddle corner to make the score 2-3. Barnet then threw everything at the Darlington defence to try and snatch a point. Cooper shot inches wide and Freedman saw his looped header go just over the bar. With just minutes remaining, Freedman shot just wide and Darlington held on to the three points to extend their run to just one defeat in seven games. For the Bees it was their fifth defeat in their last seven games.
In the end, Barnet had to settle for 12th place. Darlington's fine run ended and they slumped to 19th, winning just two more matches.
FT: Barnet 2 Darlington 3
Barnet: Newell, McDonald, Scott, Hoddle, Walker, Primus (Gibson 45), Tomlinson, Freedman, Hodges, Cooper, Wilson.
Darlington: Pollitt, Appleby (Gregan 20), Himsworth, Banks, Crosby, Reed, Slaven (Chapman 73), Painter, Warboys, Olsson, Gaughan.
