After 30 mins of a pulsating contest, the Magpies were 2 down, and I personally thought we were down and out.
Shows what I know, I suppose, as Notts responded fantastically well to win 3-2, despite Dan Martin missing a penalty!
To quote Sir Alex Fergerson after Man United's Champions League victory – “Football… bloody hell!”
Notts arrived at Underhill after a dour 0-0 draw versus Chester City on Tuesday night,knowing that a win would keep them up in the playoff places.
Steve Thompson kept faith with the team that started against Chester, with Lawrie Dudfield continuing up front in place of Junior Mendes, who remained on the bench.
372 Notts fans made the trip, and were in good voice as the two teams emerged to start the match in decent conditions.
Barnet certainly started the better of the two teams, with Kandol and Vieira up front both having pace to burn, and the former had 2 decent chances to open the scoring within the first 20 minutes.
The Barnet striker had an early effort blocked by Matty Somner from inside the box after Cogan beat Austin McCann on the left hand side, and he also curled a shot over the bar after 18 minutes.
With 23 minutes gone, Kevin Pilkington made his first save of the match, a sensible block down low from Vieira after he'd been set free in the box by Kandol.
Notts were rocking, with Barnet looking confident going forward, and the Magpies uncharacteristically nervy at the back.
Eventually on 25 minutes, Pipe had a chance for the Magpies, but fluffed his lines, scuffing his shot when given an opportunity in front of goal, which allowed Barnet to break, and this led to the “penalty”.
Now, I know Notts have had a rough time with penalties, and the unwritten FA rule that “Notts County are to be penalised on a regular basis whilst never being given one back” reared its ugly head again today.
Barnet were given a spot kick for.. well, I'm not sure what for! Reasons I heard ranged from “Pilkington tripped Kandol” to “Kandol dived” and “the ref likes orange shirts”.
It transpires that Pilkington did indeed trip Kandol, though contact appeared to be minimal, and the penalty was given. The fact that the Barnet winger (X) was offside from the move leading to the penalty incensed the Notts fans further, but the Magpies protests were to no avail, and Ian Hendon, Notts' former skipper stepped up and fired home to give Barnet the lead.
Things went from bad to worse when Barnet scored a second after half an hour.
Barnet had plenty of joy down the County's right hand side, and a cross was swung in to Pilkington, who rose up and claimed the ball magnificently (or not..)
Unfortunately for Pilkington, he bumped into Lee, fell over and the ball trickled out to Puncheon, who gleefully tucked the ball home whilst Pilkington lay injured, though I think his pride was hurting more than anything else.
I'd really got the feeling this wasn't to be our day.
The Barnet fans, separated from ourselves by a flimsy barrier, were delighted (as you would be), and taunts aimed at the Notts fans raised tempers, and several fans appeared more concerned with the opposition fans than the match, with coins apparently being thrown, but the suggestion of real “trouble” from a certain Radio Nottingham commentator is an exaggeration.
Thankfully, Magpies' self-belief and never-say-die attitude made an appearance, and all of a sudden the Magpies looked rejuvenated.
Notts won a corner on the left hand side after good work from Andy Parkinson, and the winger flighted a ball onto the charging Alan White's head, allowing the skipper to head home with aplomb and bring the 'Pies back into the game.
This instantly heartened the fans, who raised the noise level with "The Wheelbarrow song". Barnet continued to look sharp up front, and Pilko was called into action a few minutes later when Vieira turned in the box to shoot low at goal, but the Notts keeper saved the effort well.
On 36 minutes, Notts pulled level, to the delight of the travelling hordes.
A throw-in on the right was taken by Somner, which was flicked on by Jason Lee inside the six-yard goal, allowing Parkinson to smash a right-foot half volley into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
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Players, management and fans alike were sent into raptures, sending out a message to the rest of 'League 2' that Notts aren't prepared to just lie down and die if the opposition score the odd goal or two.
Notts were, shock horror, given a penalty themselves on 40 minutes, after good play set Dudfield free in the box.
However, he was held back, perhaps slightly dubiously in my opinion, by Hendon, and a spot kick was awarded to 'Pies for the first time this season.
Dan Martin stepped forward, but his tame kick was saved by the Barnet 'keeper low to his left, and Pipe's attempted overhead kick was saved from the resulting corner, which allowed the ref to bring an end to a pulsating half of football at 2-2.
Junior Mendes replaced Lawrie Dudfield at the break, and the second half began as quickly as the first had ended.
Vieira somehow fired wide, and Kandol had a goal disallowed for offside after firing a bullet header into the Notts net within seconds of the restart.
Whatever Barnet manager Paul Fairclough had given his troops, I wanted some! Matt Somner was replaced by Ian Ross 6 minutes after the restart (it now appears that the defensive midfielder was sick on arrival at Barnet, which prompted his replacement).
55 minutes gone, and Notts took the lead for the first time when Jason Lee evaded the offside trap after a Pipe pass to run through on goal, and he picked his spot incredibly calmly to guide the ball home.
A certain NCM board member (who shall remain nameless, though he knows who he is!) yelled “oh no, he's missed it!” which almost gave me a heart attack, though thankfully the ball found the net, and Notts' support erupted!
Mendes volleyed over a minute later from close range when through, to our collective despair, but Notts looked in control of the game for the first time.
The lead should really have been short lived, but Kandol's header from a Hendon cross was straight at Pilkington. Had he placed it anywhere else, he would have scored.
Mendes was looking very lively, having had his 30th birthday yesterday, and a quick footed turn and shot in the box almost produced a fourth but keeper Harrison saved well.
Mendes again shot for goal on the 69th minute with real power, but Harrison tipped the ball over the bar for a corner, which came to nothing.
The former Mansfield Town ace came close again after a one-two with Lee in the 70th minute, but he curled the shot just over, and it appeared that the rub of the green certainly wasn't with Junior today,.
On 72 minutes Ian Hendon blasted wide from range, reminding Notts that this game was anything but a finished contest.
Mike Edwards volleyed at goal on 75 minutes after Pipe delivered a crossed a ball in from the right hand side, but again Harrison was in place to deny Notts a fourth.
Mendes also found a way through the Barnet defence soon after, but he managed to put the ball wide, when unfortunately it would've been easier to score!
Alan White showed fantastic timing at the back late on with a heroic goal-saving block to deny Grazioli, who had the goal at his mercy, but thankfully Pilkington gathered the ball under pressure to deny Barnet a rebound chance, and kept Notts in the lead.
Barnet severely upped the pressure at the end, and they were desperate for an equalising goal, with Grazioli hitting the post with a curling effort that looked to have completely beaten the stranded Pilkington.
Thankfully, the ball went out for a goal kick, and the Pies hung on for the 3 points, which lifts us up to sixth place in the league.
Steve Thompson's attacking substitutions, combined with a never-say-die-attitude and a skilful squad, won us the game today, no question.
To win a game despite being 2-0 down really is a fantastic result, and to sum up, it really was a case of “3-2 to the Northern scum”.