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Top 20 Goals In 20 Years (10-1)
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Here's Frankie's top ten.
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By:
Frankie Shank
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14/10/2009
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"The last two decades have been the most successful in the history of Barnet Football Club. Promotion to the Football League for the first time, promotion to the third tier of English football for the only time, 3 play off semi final appearances, one Conference play off appearance and a second Conference title and promotion back to the Football League following relegation. So what better way to look back on that time than by saluting some of the true legends and some not such talented players than by picking out what I consider to be the crème de la menthe of our most memorable moments.
It certainly wasnt easy picking out 20 goals and I had to leave out some great strikes and goals of great significance but after a lot of thought, here is my final list, the top ten.
10 - Nicky Evans - Cardiff City 1-1 Barnet - 1992/93
It's a well known adage that goals change games but single goals can also change entire seasons. Off field turmoil had not stopped Barnet from charging towards promotion to Division 2 (League 1) but the wheels had started to fall off. An embarrassing 5-1 reverse at home to York City ended an unbeaten home record that had stretched back some 16 games, 14 of which had resulted in wins and either side of that had been defeats at Shrewsbury and Walsall. On the back of three straight defeats, travelling to Cardiff, to face the team that had taken over at the top, in front of almost 16,000 hostile Welshmen was probably not what the doctor would have ordered at that time. Another defeat and the realisation that a seasons work was coming undone just at the wrong time would really start to kick in. 8 minutes in to the game, Brian Stein worked space out on the right flank and delivered a dangerous cross into the box but there were no Bees players there to get on the end of it. Suddenly, the clouds parted and a single beam of sunshine bore down on to the pitch. Nicky Evans, who was miles away from the ball, was lifted up by this beam and floated into the Cardiff box at the speed of light arriving at the exact milli-second to meet Stein's cross and guide a superb header into the Cardiff net. The thousands of Cardiff fans behind the goal were silent. Nicky Evans was already referred to as God by Barnet fans but this goal proved beyond any doubt whatsoever that he was not of this world. Barnet held on to the lead until 5 minutes from time but the draw, the standing ovation received by the home crowd and the generous cheque for £1000 received from the Cardiff chairman in light of the players performance in spite of a season blighted by wage cheques bouncing, were enough to get Barnet back on track and promotion was completed 7 games later.
9 - Carl Hoddle - Crawley Town 0-2 Barnet - 1993/94
Being the younger brother of one of the most naturally gifted midfield players this country has ever produced can't have been fun for Carl as he tried to follow in Glenn's footsteps and make a name for himself. Like his brother, Carl was blessed with the same natural talent and could produce moments of absolute magic out of nothing. Unlike his brother, Carl produced these moments about twice in his entire life. The most memorable of these goes down in Barnet and MOTD folklore. Showing fantastic loyalty to the club, Carl stayed at Barnet after the summer of '93 and was a main stay in the patched up side that scrapped and battled it's way in a hopeless fight against relegation back to Division 3 (League 2). The FA Cup was to prove a wonderful distraction that season. The Match of the Day cameras were at Crawley Town, hoping to see the non-league minnows beat the hapless Bees, rooted to the foot of Division 2 with just a handful of points to their name. It wasn't to be and after Zeke Rowe's opportunist overhead kick, and a collapsing wall, Hoddle produced a moment of sheer quality. On a terrible pitch the ball rolled into the path of Hoddle, 20 yards out and as casual as you like, Carl placed an inch perfect curler into the top corner of the Crawley net. A fabulous strike, nonchelantly taken as if he put those away every week. But what really made the goal was the MOTD commentary - ""Hoddle by name, Hoddle by nature!"" Rest in peace, Carl.
8 - Mark Carter - Enfailed 1-4 Barnet - 1991/92
Mark Carter barely scored from outside the six yard box, more often than not finding himself in the right place at the right time to score the simple tap in. The perfect foil to Bull's individual brilliance, Carter had been amongst the top scorers in the non-league game for years. 'Spike' made the step up with ease and playing in a side that created an abundance of chances, goals were easy to come by for the Liverpudlian. In front of the Match of the Day camera's, Barnet travelled the short distance to their arch rivals, Enfailed buoyed on by 3,000 travelling fans for an FA Cup 2nd Round game. After an outstanding Barnet performance in which the gulf in class between the two teams was all too evident, Barnet cruised into a 3 goal lead, 'Spike' bagging two goals. A beleaguered Enfailed side earned a corner 10 minutes or so from the end. 10 seconds and 3 passes later and Barnet were 4 up. A lightening quick break the like of which Andy Gray purrs over these days, ended with Carter firing a stunning 20 yard drive low into the bottom corner to complete his hat trick and cap a marvellous personal performance. The finish in itself was fantastic but the speed of the break was synonymous of a team who attacked and scored goals for fun. That it came against local rivals and arch enemies whilst being screened as a feature game on the famous tv programme made this one to remember.
7 - Nicky Bailey - Barnet 5-0 Dagenham & Redbridge - 2004/05
In front of the nation, live on Sky, Barnet thrashed Dagenham to maintain top spot in the Conference as they cruised their way to the title and promotion back to the Football League. With the game already over at 4-0, Bailey picked the ball up on the left hand side, cut in and from 25 yards out, at an angle, sent a sensational curling effort into the top corner of the Dagenham net. A goal so good it was one of Sky's top 3 goals of the season. A goal so good that even David Beckham couldn't match it when his wonderful curling effort for England that same season failed to find the top corner as accurately as Bailey. Sadly, ""Bend it like Bailey"" just doesn't really have the right sound to it, does it>
6 - Darren Currie - Swansea City 1-2 Barnet - 1999/00
2nd against 1st in front of a bumper crowd at Vetch Field and the game had failed to live up to it's billing. 11 minutes from time, Darren Currie, Barnet's enigmatic winger picked the ball up some 30 yards from goal out wide on the right flank. Now anyone who saw Barnet play that season would have been well aware that quite frankly, we only had two supply lines - Darren Currie's right foot and Darren Currie's left foot. Teams would double up on Currie feeling fairly confident that if they could stop him, they could stop Barnet. Swansea had thus far kept Currie quiet. Despite facing two Swansea players, Currie played a neat one two and shaped to cross with his right but dummied back onto his left. He cut in and shaped to shoot with his left but dummied back out on to his right. Now approaching the corner of the penalty area Currie yet again shaped to cross over with his right, losing another Swansea defender as he yet again cut back on to his left foot before unleashing a pearler of a left footed shot that curled into the top corner of the Swansea goal, right in front of the travelling Bees fans. A remarkable goal from a remarkable player.
5 - Nicky Bailey - Bristol City 2-4 Barnet 2005/06
After winning promotion back to the Football League the previous season, Barnets return to the League Cup saw them face a very tough trip to the South West to face Bristol City, one of the promotion favourites in League 1. What was to follow was a superb away win capped by a goal of supreme quality.
Picking the ball up literally on the right touchline, a few yards from the corner flag, Bailey twisted and turned his way out of an impossible situation, dribbled past two defenders, nut-megging one along the way, shimmied passed another on his way into the box, dummied a shot taking out another defender before firing a left footed shot into the bottom corner of the Bristol goal. When Bailey first got on the ball, a goal was unthinkable but the uber-talented ginger haired youngster scored a goal to remember. On reflection, the goal doesn't look quite as good on the box as it had done at the time but for the 150 or so hardy Bees fans who made the long journey to Bristol on a Tuesday night, the goal will live long in the memory.
4 - Gary Bull - Barnet 3-0 Rochdale - 1991/92
Barnets first season in the FL proved to be a memorable one. Goals, goals, goals promised Barry Fry before the opening game of the season and he wasnt wrong. Some of the attacking play on display at Underhill was quite simply a joy to behold. When Rochdale, perennial Division 4 (League 2) strugglers arrived at Underhill for their first ever visit, they were simply blown away. The pick of the goals was the 20 yard thunder bolt volley from Gary Bulls right boot. A sumptious one touch move up the Barnet left involving Dominic Naylor, Paul Showler and Derek Payne saw Showler play in Bull who didnt even give the keeper time to blink before smashing a volley that dipped ferociously past him into the top corner.
3 - Giuliano Grazioli - Halifax Town 2-3 Barnet - 2004/05
What do I need to say about Giuliano Grazioli? The ultimate goalscorer. Tap ins, volleys, left foot, right foot, headers, one on ones, Grazioli scored them all and none were better than his opportunist strike at Halifax early on in a season that would prove to be one to savour. Not only was this a sensational strike from the genius marksman but it capped a memorable turnaround and paved the way for the season that was to follow. 2-0 down at the break and on the rack with fellow fans arguing amongst themselves in comical fashion, a second half fight back saw Barnet claw their way back into the game and level the scores. Within a minute of the unlikely equaliser, and with the Bees fans still making their way back up the enormous terrace behind the goal following a memorable terrace run, the ball skipped up 40 yards from goal. Whether Graz knew the keeper was a few yards off his line or not we will never know but Graz hit an instinctive right footed volley that sailed over the keeper and into the far top corner. The television footage, some cynics will say, was dubbed after the game had finished but never the less, the Halifax commentator had barely finished uttering the immortal line, ""and we've still not seen Grazioli...."" just as Graz was lining up his wonder volley. Later that season, I proudly exclaimed to the great man after yet another a win, ""Graz, I bloody love you!!""
2 - Sean Devine x 2 - Farnborough Town 2-2 Barnet - 1996/97
Sean Devine's late brace spared Barnet's blushes as we avoided an FA Cup upset in the most dramatic of circumstances at non-league Farnborough. Down to 10 men and down by 2 goals to nil, the cause was lost. But with time running out, Devine somehow managed to score from the most ridiculous angle, firing a stunning, curling effort from the by-line, leaving the helpless Farnborough keeper stranded as his shot nestled in the stanchion. A wonderous goal in itself but this was just the dress rehersal for what was to follow. Into injury time and really staring down the barrel with many fans already edging their to the exit gates, the left footed Devine hit an absolute peach of a right foot volley from 25 yards out that flew into the top corner sending the travelling Bees fans into ecstacy in what must rank as one of the most manic goal celebrations that I have ever been a part of. The magic and romance of the FA Cup was definitely still alive and kicking back in '96!
1 - Gary Bull - Fisher Athletic 2-4 Barnet - 1990/91
""Bull, with his back to goal...."" Any Barnet fan who has seen the famous Sportscast footage of this quite sensational goal will probably know that line. With the Holy Grail of promotion to the Football League for the first time in our history just moments away, Barnet had kept everyone on the edge of their seats by twice coming from behind at already relegated Fisher Athletic, whom the Bees had demolished 8-1 at Underhill just a few months earlier. Needing just a single point to clinch the title the scoreline was precarious. Any slip up in the closing minutes would hand the title to Colchester and leave Barnet finishing runners up for the 4th time in five seasons. A spell of seemingly harmless possession up the Barnet left flank with Eddie Stein and Frank Murphy exchanging passes ended with a pass up to the tightly marked Bull on the edge of the Fisher box. With seemingly nowhere to go, Bull flicked the ball up with his right boot, bounced it off his knee and then spun 180 degrees firing a tremendous, dipping right foot volley off the underside of the cross bar, down onto the goal line and into the top corner of the Fisher net. The goal sealed promotion and while a simple tap in would probably have topped this poll for sheer significance alone, this was a quite wonderful moment of individual skill and genius. Had it been scored in a top flight game, I've not doubt this would have been replayed over and over throughout the years. Thierry Henry, obviously a big fan of Bull and the Bees, enacted a similar effort with his famous strike against Manchester United on the best pitch in the land at the old Highbury. Va Va Voom? Try doing that on a bog heap in the heart of the Surrey Docklands!
We want your views! Is there a goal not listed here or in 20-11 that you really think should be? Tell us via The Mailbox"
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