Gareth
Scott Batts Lewis Colin
Andy L Richie Chris Sam
Darren
Paul T
Sub: John T
Four games down and four defeats on the trot. If Barely were going to end this run of underwhelm-ment, this was the team to do it. A strong midfield was buttressed by the return of Lewis, partnering his dad at centre-back. Up front Paul Tovey and Darren made for a partnership of deft touches and no little speed. But of course, Mathern are no slouches themselves, and had three subs to Barely's one...
Barely began the game in unconventionally alert fashion, seeing off early Mathern incursions and discovering that the referee was reluctant to blow his whistle for all but the most obvious fouls, as they were yanked back and chopped down with reasonably regular frequency - enough anyway for Richie and Chris to take it upon themselves to hand out similar treatment, as the game got just about the right side of feisty.
Barely looked the most likely, and in fact should have scored. Richie's driving run ended with a shot against the post, but when the rebound fell to Sam, he sliced it straight up into the air. Only a few minutes later an even better chance came his way, but - not having a vintage day on the wing - he put it fractionally wide of the post.
Barely pushed and pushed, with Darren always looking for the out ball - the Mathern keeper was by far the busier, with Gareth only called on to gather a couple of long-range shots. With Scott and Andy combining well down the right wing, it looked as though a goal was only a matter of time - or was it? Barely have been here before, and failed to capitalise. Although they were knocking on the door, it finally opened from an unlikely source: a Barely corner. Richie swung the ball into the danger zone and Paul - aided by a shove from the defender - bulleted the ball into the top of the net.
Half-time came with Barely in front. Batts rolled the subs around but kept the formation as it was. The second half saw Mathern foiled time and again by the Barely back line as they looked to attack on the break. The Batten boys along with Colin and Scott repelled everything threw at them, and again Mathern resorted to long-range efforts. Unfortunately one of them bounced up out of Gareth's hands, and agonisingly over the goal line to bring Mathern level.
Barely pushed for a winner, with Richie, Paul and Darren all having their moments as the Mathern back line creaked. Unfortunately for Barely they had an exceedingly mobile and alert goalkeeper, who regularly appeared at the edge of the box to snaffle up a through-ball. And when the final whistle blew, it was - not for the first time - honours shared between these teams.
Darren and Lewis picked up M-o-M votes but the clear winner was Scott, who got up and down that touchline like a vintage Denis Irwin, whilst making tackles like Roy Keane. It was not the win Barely hoped for, nor perhaps the win they deserved, but they'll be happy to avoid a fifth successive defeat.
