Barnet 1 : 0 Burton Albion

Being the league side, it is probable that the headlines will focus on Burton Albion’s woes. They are now eleven games without a win.

Furthermore, a cup tie at a side to divisions lower in front of no fans presented a wonderful opportunity to end that streak and regain some confidence. Against lesser sides, mistakes are less likely to be punished. You get second chances.

Throw into that mix,  events on the day. Just before half time Barnet were reduced to ten men when Matt Preston was sent off for tugging back Niall Ennis just inside the Barnet half.

With so much ground for Ennis to make before even unleashing a shot, it was not a smart decision but it surely presented Burton with a superb opportunity to bombard a weakened non-league side for 45 minutes.

Sadly for Brewers’ fans, that was not to be the case.

They bombarded Scott Loach’s goal for almost the entirety of the second half but n truth, Joe Powell’s corners looked the most likely method of unsettling the Canons Park team.

But rather than talk about the failings of the League One strugglers, it’s only fair to recognise that they game up against some inspired defending especially by the gargantuan Jerome Binnom-Williams and Ben Nugent who is merely very tall.

Both these men played like their lives depended on it. On one occasion in the first half, Nugent found himself the wrong side of a forward as a cross came in.  That he reacted fast enough to get to the ball first was only the start of the excellence of this play. Still facing his own goal and moving at some speed, he managed to stoop low (where the boots fly) and powerfully head the ball away from Loach’s goal. It was a breathtaking piece of agility.

Nugent had many other moments but none quite brought the joy of Binnom-Williams coup de grace. He may play for the Bees but he would be at home with Wasps, once the local rugby giant in these parts

Under immense pressure deep into the second half, he tried to disarm the pressing forward by removing the ball with the sole of his boot, then the outside of it, before aiming to dribble up the field having lost his marker. All this inside his own half.

69′ Barnet’s Binnom-Williams is built like a rugby player and he tried the footwork of a ballet dancer. Nearly got away with it too. Huge smile on his face.

That’s how football should be played.@BarnetFC 1 : 0 @burtonalbionfc @FACupFactfile @NonLeagueCrowd

— Prost International (@ProstInt) November 8, 2020

He executed the first two thirds of it perfectly but ran into another opponent as he turned and the ball went out of play. As he turned back to his mark, the 26-year-old Croydoner had a smile on his face wider than the Jubilee Line.

Barnet had many other heroes. Wes Fonguck was the goalscorer and it was a marvelous goal with a superb assist from Canadian Michael Petrasso who is on loan from York City.

Scott Loach was very well protected by the men in front of him but when, as was inevitable, Burton broke through, he was reliability personified. Sam Hughes, Lucas Akins and Charles Vernam were among the men defied.

One man who didn’t start the game will probably not get too many mentions elsewhere.. But from the moment he entered the field in the 63rd minute, Dwight Pascal threw himself at everything. He’s only 19 and a height more normal for fullbacks than centre halves but he won several key headers from those menacing Powell corners.

And finally, let’s talk about the force of nature, the man mountain known as Peter Clifford William James Beadle. The Barnet coach stood some eight feet behind the touchline for most of the game. He bellowed the word ‘referee’ so often that had he a vote for every occasion, Donald Trump would have be President in states other than just his own head.

The very well centered official Trevor Kettle, who had an outstanding game, took it all well. His call on Preston’s red was correct and he communicated with his assistants throughout the game.

From Burton’s viewpoint, there was general puzzlement as to why Jake Buxton took so long to make changes. Steven Lawless stayed on the bench and Jack Roles’ entrance came a good ten minutes after it became evident Burton had run out of ideas.

Wolves’ Niall Ennis is on loan to his third club having spent last year at Doncaster Rovers and looked talented but hasn’t yet meshed with the rest of the team. He did produce the moment that brought Preston’s red card but otherwise looked dangerous although a little lightweight.  There is hope though that his colleagues will become more astute at anticipating his movements.

Kane Hemmings missed a sitter and Ryan Edwards was busy but the confidence is shot.

They host Fulham U21s this midweek in the EFL Trophy which at least gives Burton a chance to look at some fresher players.

After that they are away to Hull and host Northampton and Charlton in League One action. Two of those sides are in the top five. The good news is there are five other clubs they can catch on points with just one win, so Burton have time.

The Brewers are eleven games without a win now and if they don’t get it against Fulham’s teenagers, it may not come for some time.

Barnet: Loach, Preston, McQueen, Richards (Pascal 63′), Petrasso (Hernandez 81′), Hooper (Pavey 90+2′), Taylor, Fonguck, Binnom-Williams, Mason-Clark, Nugent

Burton Albion: O’Hara, Brayford, Daniel, Edwards, Wallace, Powell, Hemmings, Akins, Eardley, Hughes, Ennis. Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Lawless, Fox, Roles (for Wallace 79), Vernam (for Edwards 64), O’Toole, Gilligan

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