The first time that Barnet and Torquay met in the football league was back in 1992 when the two teams played each other just after Christmas at Underhill. Barnet were top of the Barclays League Division Three, while Torquay were struggling at the other end of the table, anxious not to end the season being relegated to the Conference.
However, the match turned out to be a lot closer than the league tables would have predicted and at half time, it was the Gulls who lead after Bees’ defender, Richard Huxford had put a simple Torquay cross past Gary Phillips in the Barnet goal.
The second half began with a bang with four goals in the first 10 minutes. Firstly, barnet equalised through Brain Stein who scored from a Gary Bull cross and a minute later, Bull put the Bees ahead from the penalty spot after Huxford had been brought down. However, just five minutes into the second half and Torquay were level through Foster. On 55 minutes, Barnet were back in the lead with another penalty given when Bull was pulled down by the Torquay keeper. Bull took the penalty himself to make the score 3-2.
The game then turned back Torquay’s way and they drew level in the 65th minute when Trollope hit a stunning 20 yarder past Phillips to make it 3-3. However, soon after substitute, Mark Carter put the Bees ahead again hitting home the loose ball after the visitors’ defence had failed to clear a Huxford cross.
Seven minutes from time, Barnet seemed to have wrapped the match up when Nicky Evans headed a Kenny Lowe cross home to make it 5-3. However, Darby scored a fourth goal for the Gulls and only a fine Phillips save from Johnson enabled the Bees to hang on for a dramatic 5-4 win.
At the end of the season, Barnet finished 3rd and won automatic promotion to Division 2, while Torquay finished safely in 19th place, Halifax Town being the club who were relegated to the Conference.
Barnet; Phillips, Huxford, Cooper (Carter), Bodley, Barnett, Horton, Payne, Stein, Bull, Lowe, Showler (Evans).