Barnet breached late in FA Cup clash with Accrington

Ethan Hamilton netted late on for Accrington Stanley to secure a slender 1-0 victory over non-league Barnet in the Second Round of the FA Cup on a chilly Saturday afternoon in Lancashire. 

Barnet's stubborn defence was eventually breached with six minutes left to play, when Hamilton popped up inside the penalty area to slam home the winning goal.

Inseparable for much of the 90 minutes, Barnet's resistance against the League One outfit will inspire manager Dean Brennan as they switch attentions to a Football League return.

It wasn't for the lack of effort from Barnet, who pressurised the Stanley defence throughout, without ever finding a breakthrough of their own.

Barnet FC 🐝

2022-11-26 16:53

We exit the FA Cup after a strong display against League One opposition. 🔴1-0🐝 #BarnetFC🐝 #FACup https://t.co/ImualDlAdA

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Unsurprisingly, it was the home side that began proceedings on top and hit the woodwork after just two minutes, when Korede Adedoyin cut inside on his left foot, before shaving the post with a drilled strike.

From that moment on it looked as if Barnet would be in for a long afternoon, as the Stanley chances continued to flow, this time Shaun Whalley and Hamilton threatening the visitors' goal from range.

While two divisions separate the pair, Barnet grew into the game as the half progressed, mainly possessing a threat from set-pieces.

Sam Beard's inswinging corner was cleared off the Accrington line, whereas Dale Gorman's similarly dangerous cross was headed away by Stanley defender Seamus Conneely.

It would in fact be the away side who squandered the best chance of a goalless first half, when Beard failed to connect with a dropping ball inside the penalty area, squirming his header wide of a gaping goal.

Set pieces would prove Barnet's main threat as the game progressed, with Gorman's deliveries continuing to cause problems from wide areas.

The Barnet midfielder's free-kick, aided by the swirling Lancastrian wind, drifted into the box, with desperate defending from the Accrington backline preventing the Bees from an opener.

As the weather got worse and the clock ticked down, the onus fell on the home side to take the game to the non-league travellers, with Accrington enjoying a flurry of late chances.

Rosaire Longelo at the heart of Stanley's positive play, the ex-Newcastle United youth player threatened with a ball across the box, before firing a tame strike into the palms of Barnet goalkeeper Laurie Walker.

Ultimately, that pressure would prove crucial to Accrington's progression, as Hamilton's late strike secured eventual passage into the hat for the Third Round draw.