Today Barnet Mad looks back at the meeting at Underhill between the Bees and Rptherham in April 2000, when both sides were pushing from promotion from what was then Division 3. Rotherham had missed out on promotion the previous season losing in the play offs, as Barnet had 2 years before when they were beaten over two legs by Colchester United.
When the Millers came to Underhill, the Bees were heading for the play offs under John Still with only four games remaining. The game turned out to be highly controvertional with a lot of complaints from the South Yorkshire club. Rotherham were league leaders and looking to gain points to help them clinch the third division championship.
Barnet began shakily and goalkeeper, Lee Harrison was forced to tip over a back header from Bees centre back, Mike Basham. Basham's misplaced header was goalbound until Harrison pushed it over at full stretch. Soon after a 20 yard shot from Rotherham's Steve Thompson rebounded off the far post and Harrison had to make another flying save soon after, this time from Rotherham's Paul Warne.
Barnet slowly forced their way into the game and improved as the half wore on.
H-T 0-0
Barnet started the second half brightly and their pressure was rewarded in the 59th minute, when the Bees took the lead with a highly disputed goal. After a one-two with winger, Darren Currie, Bees' right back, Sam Stockley, forced a corner. From Currie's corner kick, skipper Greg Heald headed against a post and Rotherham keeper, Mike Pollitt pushed it away only for Barnet substitute, Mark Arber to push it goalwards. The assistant referee signalled a goal to Barnet to send the home fans wild with delight, but the referee was surrounded by Rotherham players protesting that the ball hadn't crossed the line. Central defender, Guy Branston, who had 6 stitches in a head wound claimed that four of five of the Yorkshire club's players would confirm that it wasn't a goal and the Millers' manager, Ronnie Moore, complained that the linesman had been 50 yards away and that the referee , who had been near the incident, hadn't, at first, given the goal. But the goal stood despite the visitors' protests. A sky TV action replay confirmed later that only a 1/3 of the ball had crossed the line.
Rotherham launched a desperate effort to salvage a point, but Barnet's dependable defence stood firm and Lee Harrison made a diving save to foil Rotherham substitute, Lee Glover.
FT 1-0
'At the start of the season, we were relegation fodder,' said assistant manager Tommy Cunningham. 'But the attitude of our players has been first class. They've worked for each other and we've never been out of the top seven. 'With the leading sides showing signs of the jitters, we could still make the top three and automatic promotion.'
In the end, Barnet made the play offs, finishing 6th, but lost 5-1, on aggregate, in the play off semi finals to Peterborough United. Rotherham gained automatic promotion by finishing 2nd to champions Swansea City.
Teams: Barnet: Harrison; Heald, Basham, Hackett (Arber 23), Stockley; Doolan, Wilson (Toms 85), Sawyers, Currie; Charlery (McGleish 78), King.
Subs not used: Bossu, Strevens.
Rotherham: Pollitt; Wilsterman, Varty, Branston, Sedgwick (Berry 79); Watson, Thompson (Garner 73), Hurst, Turner (Glover 66), Warne; White.
Subs not used: Pettinger, Beech.
Attendance: 3239.