Barnet, the last non-league side in this season’s FA Cup, refuse to leave the competition without a fight. They may yet advance to the fifth round for the first time in their history. Brentford will certainly not expect an easy ride in the replay at Griffin Park after this thrilling, see-sawing and controversial draw at the Hive.
“Brilliant, what a game!” said Barnet’s manager, Darren Currie. “I loved it. That’s what football is supposed to be about. And we get to do it again next week.”
Apparently Barnet’s players were initially underwhelmed by this tie, several of them apparently groaning when they were pitted against Brentford, rather than more prestigious opponents, after pulling off a shock win at Sheffield United in the third round. So the fifth-round draw, made just before kick-off here, was probably not greeted with euphoria in the home dressing room, a potential trip to Swansea City being no closer to the stuff of dreams. But making history surely is and Barnet’s players were clearly fuelled by the knowledge that they could boldly go where their club had never been. There was a record crowd of 6,215 at the Hive to witness their valiant attempt to confound expectations again.
Nine miles separate these London clubs but in terms of ability they are supposed to be worlds apart, with 70 teams between the Championship side and their non-league hosts in the football pyramid. For a while Currie’s men even threatened to win, as Shaq Coulthirst’s second goal of the game put Barnet 2-1 in front early in the second half. Brentford soon drew level thanks to a penalty by Neal Maupay and might have thought they had definitively restored the natural order when Sergi Canos made it 3-2. But there was a final sting in the tail from this clash of Bees, as Dan Sparkes made it 3-3 by curling a brilliant free-kick into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
“My biggest credit to Darren Currie, the Barnet players and their crowd,” said Brentford’s Danish manager, Thomas Frank. “They did everything to create this moment. I definitely felt the English culture of the FA Cup.”
There was little sign in the early stages of the high jinks to come. Will Huffer, making only his second senior start after being loaned from Leeds United because of suspension to Barnet’s first-choice goalkeeper, Mark Cousins, did not need to make a save until the 20th minute thanks to the vigilance of his defence. But moments after stopping a tame effort by Canos he was beaten by a fierce long-range shot from Moses Odubajo that bounced out off the post.
Despite having less of the ball, the feisty hosts posed plenty of problems to their visitors but were undone by a flash of class from Ollie Watkins five minutes before the break. The midfielder rammed a low shot beyond Huffer from nearly 30 yards.
Home supporters in the Bees Terrace spent half-time dancing to keep themselves warm and their spirits up. Five minutes into the second period they jumped for joy as Barnet drew level. Ephron Mason-Clark created the goal with a run down the right before crossing for Coulthirst, who poked into the net from 10 yards. The home team were not satisfied: three minutes later they seized the lead, provoking mayhem in the visitors’ defence before Coulthirst, once a teammate of Harry Kane in Tottenham’s U-23s, fired into the net. “I encourage him to express himself,” said Currie of Coulthirst. “I expect him to express himself,” said Currie.”When he gets into the final third, whatever makes him happy, just go do it.”
Brentford equalised quickly but not without controversy, Maupay converting a penalty kick awarded when Watkins went down under a challenge by David Tutonda. “It was a wonderful dive, to be fair,” deadpanned Currie, who said he was told that Watkins apologised to Tutonda after Maupay scored. Frank insisted his player is no diver. “For me Ollie Watkins is one of the most honest players I know and he will never dive on purpose,” he said.
Both teams chased victory in a rollicking last half-hour. Brentford struck through a high-class counter-attack in the 72nd minute, Canos finishing neatly after a pass from the right from Henrik Dalsgaard,, who had just been sprung from the bench. But still Brentford could not dispose of the non-leaguers. Three minute later Sparkes, another substitute, made it 3-3 with a superb left-footed free-kick.
Odubajo again struck a post as Brentford did their damnedest to shake off Barnet once and for all but the cussed non-league side would not yield.