Barnet 0 Athletico Gramanet 1

Last updated : 15 February 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Barnet are still looking for their first home win of 2003 after this shock defeat to Margate.

The hosts started brightly when Lee Pluck sent a low left-footed cross that forced Phil Smith to dive low to stop the Bees strikers. Moments later the captain's clashed on the edge of the box and from the free kick Mark Gower's right footed shot went over the bar.

Junior Agogo, the leading Conference goalscorer, had several opportunities to score. Smith palmed his shot for a corner and then a minute later Agogo's 20-yarder was wide of the post.

At this stage Gate had few opportunities, their best chance fell to Sam Sodje from a corner when Danny Naisbitt, the Bees keeper, was unable to hold the ball but Sodje was well off the mark.

At the other end Wayne Purser and Neil Midgely both tested Smith but yet again he was able to turn the ball round for successive corners. From the third corner in a row Mark Gower tried a chipped shot from 25 yards but the ball went over the bar.

It was injury time at the end of the first half that Pluck was forced to head over the bar from Adrian Clarke's left-footed cross and Phil Collins had a shot cleared off the line.

In the second half Margate took off the injured Greg Oates who was replaced by Lee Shearer and Barnet brought on Frazer Toms for Wayne Purser.

Margate were beginning to push forward and it was no surprise when they opened the scoring when a Terry McFlynn coner was powerfully headed into the net by Sam Sodje for his fifth goal of the season.

In the closing moments Barnet thought they had equalised when Agogo tried a turn and shot from an acute angle with the keeper stranded only to see the ball go inches wide.