A stunning strike by Jason Puncheon rewarded a hard working Barnet side with a 1-0 victory against Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow on Friday evening.
Barnet made two changes to the starting line-up from the one that beat Mansfield Town last time out in League 2 with Paul Warhurst being replaced in the starting line-up by Barry Cogan, a change that saw Puncheon join Adam Birchall in attack with the latter replacing Magno Vieira in the starting line-up.
It was the Bees who started the game the brighter of the two sides and they could have taken the lead after just 90 seconds when Barry Cogan received the ball on the right, following a Puncheon pass, and his first time cross found Birchall at the near post with the strikers snap shot being palmed away by Scott Shearer in the Shrews goal.
Shrewsbury began to get more into the game and they could have taken the lead in the 7th minute when Michael Symes got clear of Ismail Yakubu and the former Everton striker saw his shot from left the left of the penalty area saved by the legs of Lee Harrison, with the ball spinning behind just wide of the right hand post for a corner kick.
Ten minutes later and the Shrews were threatening once more when a Danny Thomas cross into the area was half cleared by Simon King, but the ball spun up in the air where Stewart Drummond shot over the bar from 15 yards when under pressure from Dean Sinclair.
Barnet continued to look threatening themselves, though, and in the 22nd minute a fine run forward by Puncheon saw the former MK Dons man shoot from 25 yards with keeper Shearer unable to hold onto the ball, but Richard Hope was there to clear the ball ahead of Birchall to prevent the Bees man from tapping home into an empty net.
Two minutes later and the lively Symes shot straight at Harrison from 25 yards for the home side, whilst Drummond saw his speculative effort from all of 35 yards easily held by the Bees goalkeeper.
Birchall then saw a header, from a Cogan cross, well held by Shearer in the 34th minute as both sides continued to look threatening in the final third, whilst Ben Davies saw his free kick from 25 yards well held by Harrison as the ball bounced viscously in front of him.
As half time approached it was the Bees who were looking the more likely to break the deadlock and Puncheon saw his strike from 20 yards deflect wide for a corner kick in the 39th minute, before Sinclair shot wide from a similar position a minute later.
Birchall then shot straight at Shearer from 25 yards for the Bees four minutes before half time after Sinclair won the ball in the centre of the midfield before Cogan was next to have a strike at goal, Shearer again doing well to hold onto the ball following a fine pass by Birchall in the 42nd minute.
The Bees were, however, nearly pegged back in the 43rd minute when the Shrews man of the first half, Symes, saw his headerwell held by Harrison before srike partner Andy Cooke saw his strike from the right of the penalty flash across goal and behind for a goal kick on the stroke of half time.
Both sides began the second period with real pace but it was the home side who were to have the first effort on goal when Davis saw his free kick, from 25 yards, well held at the second attempt by Harrison in the Barnet goal.
It was again the home side who were threatening on the hour when the Bees failed to deal with a long throw and Harrison was forced to tip Davies' hooked effort over the crossbar.
Despite having the greater of the possession, the Bees were struggling to create a great deal in the second period and it was the home side who were looking the more threatening in the final third, although to be fair the chances for Gary Peter's side were also limited.
A spell of Barnet pressure on the 72nd minute saw Puncheon cut in from the right before seeing his low drive pushed around his near post by Shearer.
A minute later and Harrison had to be replaced in goal by Ross Flitney for the Bees with the Bees custodian suffering an injury to his thigh.
Shrewsbury then had their best chance of the game when Richard Hope headed wide from ten yards following a Davies corner kick in the 75th minute, whilst straight down the other end Puncheon saw his strike from 20 yards well held by Shearer.
Richard Graham was then replaced on the Bees left by Anthony Charles in the 76th minute as Paul Fairclough looked to introduce more height into the side.
Nine minutes from time and the Bees were to take the lead with a contender for the goal of the season from Puncheon.
The Bees man received the ball on the edge of the penalty area in the 82nd minute after Hope headed the ball out and he controlled the ball on his knee before hitting a dipping half volley from all of 25 yards which flashed past Shearer in the Shrewsbury goal to send the Bees fans behind the goal wild.
The goal seemed to lift the Bees and it was they who finished the game the stronger restricting the home side to any decent possession of the ball and in the third minute of injury time the Bees nearly got their second goal when a Puncheon cross cannoned off of the back of Hope before flashing just over the crossbar.
Puncheon was then replaced in the 94th minute by Paul Warhurst in attack, but the referee signalled the end of the match seconds later as the Bees ran out 1-0 winners.
Attendance: 3620
Away: 89
By Jonathan Sugar
