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Classic Encounter: Gillingham v Barnet: 1995-96

Last updated : 03 April 2009 By Jaybee

Barnet travel to Gillingham tomorrow, hoping to pick up valuable points as they look to move away from the bottom part of the League Two table. Of course, Gillingham are in need of points too as they hope to keep up their challenge for promotion.

In February 1996, Barnet travelled to Gillingham hoping to get a win which would help their efforts to gain a play-off place. Gillingham were, as now, also hoping to win automatic promotion and were top of Division Three (now League Two).

Barnet were managed by Ray Clemence and included in their side, Alan Pardew, later to manage West Ham and Charlton and current Birmingham and Northern Ireland goalkeeper, Maik Taylor. They had won two of their previous three matches so were in quite good form.

The Bees gave a very fine performance against the league leaders, but went behind in the 10th minute, when Gillingham's Neil smith hit a long hopeful ball upfield and Pardew, coming across to clear, sliced the ball to Gills' striker, Steve Butler who, with Taylor off his line, placed the ball into an empty net.

Straight after the goal, Bees' striker, Sean Devine hit a screaming shot inches wide and this heralded a strong period of play for Barnet with several near misses. Bees' defender, David McDonald was forced to go off with a badly gashed leg and was replaced by former Gillingham player, Jamie Campbell.

Barnet pressed hard in the second half and substitutes, Micky Tomlinson and Richard Dunwell both caused the home defence a lot of trouble. In the 90th minute, Lee Hodges saw his header graze the crossbar, but despite the fact that the referee added on 8 minutes of stoppage time, Gillingham held on to go 8 points clear at the top of the table.

At the end of the season, Barnet just missed out on the play-offs by two points, finishing a creditable 9th. Gillingham finished 2nd, winning automatic promotion.

The Barnet side that day was; Taylor, Gale, McDonald, Pardew, Primus, Howarth, Hodges, Dyer, Simpson, Devine, Wilson. Subs: Campbell, Tomlinson, Dunwell.