Tamworth 0 Barnet 2

Last updated : 11 September 2004 By Footymad Previewer

Leaders Barnet continued their impressive start to the season with a comfortable win at Tamworth.

A Dean Sinclair strike after 13 minutes and Giuliano Grazioli's seventh goal of the season on the stroke of half-time were enough to keep Paul Fairclough's men in pole position and condemn Mark Cooper's Lambs to their third consecutive defeat.

But it could have been different if Lambs defender Matt Redmile's header against his former club after just one minute had been allowed to stand, but he was penalised for pushing.

Barnet recovered from the early scare and began to boss the game with Sinclair forcing Lambs keeper Ryan Price into a superb one-handed save low to his left, but Price could do nothing about Sinclair's opening goal.

The Bees midfielder capitalised on a weak defensive header from Aaron Brown and lashed the ball beyond Price.

Tamworth were rocked by the immediate loss of player-manager Cooper, who limped off with an ankle injury.

Tris Whitman should have equalised for Tamworth on 21 minutes when the ball fell kindly to him eight yards from goal after a poor back header from Simon King, but the Lambs' topscorer blazed over.

On the stroke of half-time, Brown slipped again and Sinclair stole in behind the Lambs defence and squared the ball to Grazioli who rolled the ball into the empty net.

Tamworth tried to get back into the game in the second half, but found no way passed a Barnet defence marshalled superbly by captain Ian Hendon and only two good blocks from Brown stopped Grazioli adding a third for the visitors.

Dwane Lee was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 85th minute after a tackle on Chad Shepperd that sparked a mass brawl.