Barnet 2 Yeovil 1

Mark Arber was Barnet's Captain Marvel with a heroic display at the heart of the defence which inspired a splendid win over Yeovil on Tuesday.

Arber, wearing a bandage to protect a head injury sustained late in the first half, still produced bold challenges to win aerial battles as he led the Bees resistance force. He was at his best when Yeovil piled on the pressure after narrowing the gap to a solitary goal, 2-1.

Head coach Peter Shreeves said: "I don't often single out an individual player for praise, but Arber was terrific tonight.

"It was a good all-round performance against a side who are joint-favourites to become champions. They will be up there and so will we.

"I was pleased with the way we bounced back after the defeat at Doncaster."

Mark Gower got Barnet off to a great start with a fine sixth-minute goal, curling a low, 25-yard free-kick around the defensive wall.

Barnet looked set to stretch their lead when Junior Agogo and Ben Strevens combined and Agogo stormed clear on the left, but when he sent over a cross there was nobody there to supply the finishing touch.

Craig Pope rescued the Bees with a spectacular diving header to divert a goalbound lob from Abou Demba for a corner, soon followed by a goalline clearance by Lee Gledhill.

Barnet were on the back foot again early in the second half, before Strevens put them further ahead in the 53rd minute.

Gower sent a long free-kick beyond the far post where Arber produced a tremendous leap, nodding the ball back for Strevens to head into the empty net.

It was the second league goal of the season for Strevens, who had limped off with a calf strain at Doncaster but passed a late fitness test.

Yeovil reinforced their attack with substitute Carl Alford and launched a fierce onslaught.

Their reward came in the 76th minute when Lee Johnson's low free-kick from just outside the penalty area sailed through a gap in the defensive wall.

Barnet's defence showed gritty determination and they clung to the three points.

l+2of=GillSanss=8l=8.5BARNET: Harrison, Pope, Pluck, Arber, Gledhill, Gower, Bell (Yakubu 79), Hillier, Midgley, Strevens, Agogo (Soloman 88). Substitutes not used: Naisbitt, Oshitola, Bai-Mass. Attendance: 1,668. Man of the match: Arber.

August 23, 2002 11:30