Barnet

1-1

Swindon Town

Paynter 53 og

 

Paynter 41

Barnet win 2-0 on kicks from the penalty mark
The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Third Round Proper Replay
Tuesday 22 January 2008
Winning clubs receive £40,000
Click here for Fourth Round fixtures

Two Barnet substitutes, Anthony Thomas and Joe O'Cearuill, kept their nerves during a penalty shootout to take the League Two side through to the Fourth Round Proper for only the second time in their history.

For League One Swindon, who had numerical advantage for more than 45 minutes after Michael Leary's dismissal, it all went pear-shaped as four out of four players failed with their spot-kicks.

Jason Puncheon, eyed by clubs from a higher level, was the quality player on the pitch and he tested 6'7" Czech 'keeper Peter Brezovan in the first five minutes with a stinging half-volley that he just managed to grab by the foot of a post.

Adam Birchall, scorer of the Bees' late equaliser at the County Ground, was lively in attack alongside recent signing Cliff Akurang, but Swindon poured forward in numbers too in a very entertaining tie at Underhill.

Puncheon, so relaxed on the ball, almost fashioned a surreal goal on the half-hour as he lobbed in a shot from all of 40 yards that flew over the advancing Brezovan's head but cleared the bar by inches.

An inch-perfect Puncheon pass out to Max Porter on the right ten minutes later led to a high cross that the unmarked Akurang headed well over. Barnet were forced to rue that miss as Billy Paynter cracked a low left-footer past Rob Beckwith within a minute to put the visitors ahead.

The Bees made a flying start to the second half, playing down the famous Underhill slope, and an equaliser looked on the cards. It was an unusual goal when it came on 53 minutes. A wayward diagonal ball upfield found its way fortuitously to Puncheon by the right touchline. He went inside one defender and outside another before firing the ball hard and low into the goalmouth. Paynter, defending in the near-post area, turned it into his own net.

The frantic end-to-end action was making the players weary and Barnet's cause was hardly helped when Leary lunged recklessly at impressive French left-winger Sofiane Zaaboub as he cut inside at speed on 73 minutes and was swiftly red-carded by referee Woolmer. But Swindon fluffed a series of chances and Beckwith, later a shootout hero, made an unbelievable stretching save from Paynter to keep the score at 1-1.

Neither side had been involved in an FA Cup shootout before - but Paul Fairclough's Bees probably won't mind another one. They take on Bristol Rovers at Underhill on Saturday, ready to make history.

Attendance: 2,810