When you are outside a football ground knowing that you've got less than five minutes 'til kick off to get through a turnstile along with 100 others, and you are met with the level of incompetence we saw outside the entrance to the North and East Terraces yesterday you can start to appreciate how, if the crowd was ten or twenty times times bigger, these 'things' happen. Luckily with a crowd of just over 3,000 all that occured were a few sense of humour failures. But I do hope the Barnet stewards confine themselves to Underhill rather than anywhere else likely to have much bigger crowds.
There were 12 turnstiles for away fans to go through but for some reason we were told to get into two queues which were being served by just four turnstiles, despite the fact that at least 8 of the 12 appeared to be open. If you hadn't got a ticket, and of course all of us did, you were directed to one of the turnstiles without a queue and could go straight in. It was the complete reverse of the situation at the Vic where you are discriminated against if you hadn't got a ticket. A couple of blokes near me gave up the queue and despite having tickets went and paid again just to get in on time. It was crazy and, as I say, you can just imagine if the game was more important, if the supporters were less well behaved, or if there was a sudden roar from those inside how a crush or stampede occurs.
Crazily, once you were through the turnstiles, you realised they all lead to the same place. There was no reason why we couldn't have gone through any of them other than the pettiness of the steward outside telling us if we had a ticket we had to queue up.
Inside the ground it was no better. The North East terrace where most of us had tickets appeared full with fans blocking all the entrances, yet the North terrace which was also given over to Watford fans appeared less than half full. Some of us asked a steward if we could stand there but were refused. Someone asked where we were meant to go then and we were just waved away. Eventually, after a lot of "excuse me's" and jostling for positions I found a decent spot and so must have everyone else but this was no thanks to any officials from Barnet FC.
As for the game, it was rubbish. The kind of early League Cup tie we've specialised in over the last few years where you really hope it doesn't go to extra time, but know that its inevitable. We have definitely abandoned any trace of the Rodgers passing it around tactic and seem to have gone back to playing Hoofball. Worryingly though Danny Graham isn't built in quite the same way as Darius so it doesn't seem to work. I don't mean this to insult either of them but Graham has more skill than that.
We only improved when Ellington, of all people, came on. Maybe he was being watched tonight but he was excellent. He played the forward Hoofball role perfectly rising to win every header that was lobbed down to him then laying it off for Smith or Graham, and occasionally having a go himself. Maybe someone was in watching Tommy and he doesn't want to go because he really didn't have a great game.
Our midfield looked non-existent with Eustace and Severin strolling around the park as if they were playing for the Watford Legends on Sky. I'd have rather had Micah Hyde playing for us. He still looks dangerous and, more importantly, bothered. He got a decent reception at the end when he applauded the away section of the crowd. I'm pleased we didn't persevere with Albert Jarrett as he looked as temperamental as always.
Lloydinho was back, at one point, tearing through (yes, really) the Barnet defence but his shot went just wide. There was hope around me that the game would go to penalties and Lloyd would have to take one. But I was glad this didn't happen. I want Lloyd's goal to be a glorious unexpected moment coming from open play.
Richard Lee was in for Loach who was on England duty. As I've stated previously I've got loads of time for Rich but the time I've got for him as a goalkeeper gets less each time he plays. He pulled off one fine save, but otherwise looked vulnerable the whole time. A couple of times he ran out of the area inappropriately, just like he did against Borehamwood luckily without the same result. He didn't seem to shout for the ball leading to confusion in defence. All his kicking was either straight down the middle or out for a throw in and it just wasn't working as a strategy. The one time he threw it out he got a huge cheer.
The goals came right at the end of both halves of extra time. The first was from a McAnuff free kick which Mike Williamson fiercely headed in. The Barnet keeper got a hand to it but it wasn't enough. He did even worse with the second one which was hit right at him from Scott Severin. It should have been an easy pick up but somehow went underneath him and in.
Malky, as on Saturday, seems to think we did okay. But if we play like that against Sheffield United I reckon we'll get ripped apart. Take Tommy Smith out of the equation permanently and I wonder if we'll manage to find three sides that are worse than us this time around.
