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Barnet's title wish is granted
Barnet 3 Halifax Town 1
TOWN'S play-off hopes are hanging by a thread as they prepare for the biggest week in their recent history.
Three games in eight days, starting with the home clash against Hereford next Saturday, will decide their fate.
But their chances of a top five finish were dealt a blow by a catalogue of second-half misfortune at Barnet on Saturday.
The home side clinched the title – and a return to the Football league after an absence of four years.
But they were helped by a fortuitous second goal which was dodgy on a couple of counts and the dismissal of John Grant.
Grant saw red early in the second half after an alleged elbow on Simon King, but it is open to question whether there was any contact between the Town striker and home defender.
The way Town had started suggested they were going to upset Barnet's championship party as they were the better side for long spells of the first half. But once they had been reduced to 10 men they were always facing an uphill task.
And it got even tougher four minutes later when skipper Steve Bushell was stretchered from the field after challenging Liam Hatch on the Town right.
There was clearly no sign of the change in fortune manager Chris Wilder was hoping for.
Town could hardly have made a better start as they opened the scoring after 11 minutes.
Adam Quinn's strong clearing header was picked up down the right by Ryan Sugden. He used his strength to get away from King's challenge but saw his shot from the edge of the area parried by Scott Tynan. Killeen was following up at the far post and fired home.
The Shaymen might have had a second in the 27th minute when Sugden touched the ball on for Killeen who saw his 18-yard effort turned round the post by the Barnet keeper.
Had Town doubled their lead it would not have been a surprise to see Town go on and control the game.
But they suffered a setback 10 minutes before half time when Barnet broke down the right, Hatch crossed and Guiliano Grazioli got a luck break in the box. His touch cannoned off a defender into the path of Ben Strevens and it was all square when the midfielder fired home low to Ian Dunbavin's left.
Playing up the considerable slope in the second half, Town needed a solid start.
But they went behind within four minutes of the restart in controversial circumstances.
Steve Haslam's challenge on Richard Graham was deemed, harshly, a foul by the referee who then failed to spot an illegal challenge on Dunbavin when the free kick was sent into the area.
The keeper was unable to collect as he was impeded and that gave Hatch the chance to cross the ball back in for Simon King, who fired home despite the efforts of Martin Foster on the line.
Dean Sinclair had a shot saved by Dunbavin while Craig Midgley and Haslam had efforts at the other end.
The game went further away from the Shaymen with the loss of Grant and Bushell, although they still had the opportunity to level it in the 77th minute when Midgley found Foster. But his 20-yard curling shot narrowly failed to hit the target.
Hatch missed the simplest of opportunities to seal victory for the Bees when he sliced an effort wide from no more than five yards out. But Barnet were celebrating a couple of minutes later – and Hatch was the provided again.
His cross from the left picked out Grazioli who bagged his 28th goal of the season from close range when he put a left foot shot through Dunbavin's legs.
Dunbavin later saved from Graham, but 10-man Town knew the game was up and they never threatened the Barnet goal again.
The Bees were content to play the ball round at the back for the final five minutes, waiting for the final whistle that confirmed their return to the Football League after an absence of four seasons.
Whether the Shaymen can join them via the play-offs is open to question.
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Weather for Halifax
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North west
