Dejected Boro' stung by league leaders

If Barnet go on to lift the Conference title as expected, Stevenage Borough can at least reflect upon their two seasonal meetings with their Hertfordshire rivals knowing that they matched their opponents in every department.

The 2-1 victory over the Bees on Boxing Day showed plenty of promise and despite the unfavourable result, the nature of this latest performance at Underhill provided more encouragement that 2005 might be a fruitful year.

Indeed, the sizeable Stevenage contingent that chose to made the short trip down the A1 on Sunday lunchtime to watch this match, in addition to those who viewed the derby live on Sky Sports, will be aggrieved their side came away empty-handed from a keenly-contested affair, as the Bees gained immediate revenge for their recent defeat at Broadhall Way.

Boro' were the better side for most of the match but they ended up taking nothing from a clash fuelled by Graham Westley's pre-match remarks, where he criticised Barnet's attempts to stall the suspensions of three key players and suggested they were feeling the pressure.

Rumour has it that the words were posted on the home dressing room wall to motivate the team.

The Stevenage manager's thoughts after the match were a little more predictable, though no less defiant: "If you look at the chances that were created, I think you would have to say that we had the better of the game.

"Over 90 minutes I think the best side probably lost and that does say something about where we're at."

Stevenage's play in the opening half an hour was as bright as the winter sunshine, as they took the game to their hosts.

Both Anthony Elding and Dino Maamria missed good headed opportunities in the opening 15 minutes and then Simon Clist was forced to clear Maamria's diving header off the line.

But for all of Stevenage's enterprise, it was Barnet who struck the first blow after 33 minutes.

Former player Giuliano Grazioli, who netted the Bees' goal against Stevenage on Boxing Day, latched onto Clist's long pass and instinctively lifted the ball over the advancing Stevenage goalkeeper Andy Woodman and in.

Things went from bad to worse for Boro' minutes later when Maamria pulled up sharply chasing a through ball with a recurrence of the hamstring injury that has so blighted his career at Broadhall Way.

As a result Boro' rather lost their way in the minutes leading up to the interval and Lee Roache almost doubled Barnet's lead, but Westley's half-time team talk seemed to inspire the visitors.

It took Stevenage less than three second half minutes to get back on level terms.

Substitute Brian Quailey escaped down the right and crossed for Simon Weatherstone to slot home an equaliser from six yards.

The goal spurred Stevenage on. Quailey headed wide, an Elding shot nestled in the arms of Barnet goalkeeper Scott Tynan and Jon Brady's tantalising low cross somehow eluded everyone in the six-yard box, as Boro' pressed.

Quailey had the ball in the net only to be denied when the referee frustratingly brought play back for a free-kick, and Elding felt equally aggrieved when he was seemingly obstructed by Tynan in the penalty area.

At times it was the league leaders who suffered from a case of the defensive jitters, but it was a moment of defensive sloppiness from Stevenage that ultimately cost them the game.

With three minutes to go, Woodman, unaided by a call from his team-mates, needlessly palmed the ball out for a corner.

From Nicky Bailey's subsequent set-piece, the unmarked Ismail Yakubu was allowed time and space to head home a late winner for Barnet.

The Bees' joy at the final whistle showed just how much this victory meant to them. Boro's dejection was equally revealing.

STEVENAGE BOROUGH: Woodman, Rogers, Quinn (sub Hunter, 89), Goodliffe, Gregory, Bulman, Weatherstone, Brady, Boyd, Elding, Maamria (sub Quailey, 35). Substitutes (not used): Warner, Hocking, Farrow.

thanks to churchlangbee