A week to forget for Barnard (17.04.03)

IT’S BEEN a very strange couple of weeks for Maidenhead United goalkeeper Richard Barnard.
In last week’s 5-0 cup win over Windsor & Eton, Barnard was lucky to stay on the pitch after accidentally handling outside his area.
However, he was less fortunate against Billericay Town on Saturday, when he repeated the offence during a defensive mix-up and found himself headed for an early bath.
Then, on Tuesday night, Barnard went one worse, punching the ball into his own net to gift Sutton United a share of the spoils in a very frustrating 2-2 draw.
However, it would be unfair to single out Barnard for criticism, when defensive errors, or a lack of communication, have been responsible for each and every incident.
Manager Alan Devonshire said of Tuesday’ night’s comedy of errors: “Our defending hasn’t been the greatest.
“They’re good players but they make individual errors.
“They have moments of madness and that crept in again last night (Tuesday).
“OJ (Jeffrey) has been excellent this season, but for that first goal he was under pressure.
“Then the second one came off the bar, turned Richie (Barnard) around and he knocked it into his own net.
“It was a shame, because we’d been in control before that.”
Amazingly, Tuesday night’s result takes United’s tally of draws to 17 for the season, having managed just five last term, and a measly two the season before that. But what does it all mean.
Devonshire said: “You could take it either way. They could be games we would have lost last year.
“You could also say if we’d turned some of them into positive results we would be higher up the league.”

On Saturday, Sutton United visit York Road for the return leg of Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw in Surrey.
Devonshire said: “Both teams will be going for a win to out-do the other over two games.”

On Easter Monday the Magpies travel to Basingstoke Town, who are currently sixth in the league, having racked up 21 wins from their 42 games played.