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PAST TIMES: Swindon Town

Last updated : 05 January 2012 By Jaybee

Barnet have met Swindon Town just five times before in competitive games, three times in League Two and twice in the FA Cup.

The first time that the two clubs met was early on in the 2006/07 season at the County Ground. Barnet gave a poor performance and went down to their second defeat at the start of the season, the Robins winning 2-1. Simon King scored a late goal for the Bees. In the return at Underhill, Barnet defeated promotion bound Swindon Town 1-0 when Oliver Allen, in his first start for the Bees, scored his first ever goal for the club. The Barnet side that day was; Burch; Hendon, King, Yakubu (Devera), Gross; Cogan, Sinclair, Bailey, Graham; Allen (Puncheon), Grazioli.

The next time the two clubs met was during the following season, 2007/08, in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. Barnet had defeated Gillingham and Burton Albion on the way to this stage of the tournament. The original tie was at the County Ground and the Robins went ahead on the hour through Blair Sturrock. However, with just 5 minutes remaining, Adam Birchall scored the Bees’ equaliser with a stunning drive from the edge of the penalty area to take the tie back to Underhill.

In the replay, Billy Paynter put the Robins ahead just four minutes before half time, but, once again, the Bees fought back to get on level terms, Jason Puncheon’s hard low drive going in off Paynter just 8 minutes into the second half.

Soon after, Michael Leary was sent off leaving Barnet a man down for the rest of the game but the Bees bravely held on against their League One opponents and the match went to penalties. Bees’ keeper, Rob Beckwith was outstanding in the penalty shoot out to win Barnet a place in the 4th round. Anthony Thomas and Joe O’Cearuill converted their penalties and although Ismail Yakubu missed one for the Bees, the visitors missed all four efforts as the Bees won 2-0 on penalties to go through to the 4th round for the second successive season. Barnet’s cup run ended in the 4th round with a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Bristol Rovers. Barnet’s team in the 3rd round replay was; Beckwith; Porter, Devera, Yakubu, Gillet; Nicolau (O’Cearuill), Leary, Bishop, Puncheon; Akurang (Grazioli), Birchall (Thomas).

Earlier this season, Swindon comfortably defeated the Bees 4-0 in the league at the County Ground.