MAIDENHEAD U 2
Mitchell-Lawson 9, Smith 56
BARNET 2
Stead 71, Kabamba 90+3 (pen)
A CONTROVERSIAL late penalty decision helped Barnet recover from twogoals down to rescue a point at York Road.
Second-placed Bees looked to be headed for an eighth league defeat, but referee Aaron Jackson spotted a handball in the box as Nicke Kabamba tried to head the ball home in the 91st minute.
And to the general bafflement of most inside the ground, he pointed to the spot, giving Kabamba the chance to rifle home his 50th goal for the club.
“Livid is what we are,” raged Magpies assistant boss Ryan Peters.
“That second goal should never have happened. It was never a penalty!
“We were dead on our feet and Barnet pushed us all the way. I thought we did well. We were 2-0 up and were cruising.
“But it’s another point to build on.”
The Magpies held a two-goal lead thanks to Jayden Mitchell-Lawson’s composed finish in the ninth minute and substitute Reece Smith’s back-post tap in on 57 minutes.
But, revived by second half-substitutes Idris Kanu and former Magpies’ favourite Harry Pritchard, Dean Brennan’s men upped the ante and got back in the contest when Dale Gordon’s corner was flicked on by Adam Thomson and Callum Stead side-footed home.
They then laid siege to the Magpies penalty area but just when it looked like the hosts would hold out, the referee made his all-important intervention.
The Magpies seized control early when Josh Keeley got a rush of blood to the head and came storming out of the area, presenting the ball to Tristan Abrahams. His shot was blocked but Mitchell-Lawson picked up the loose ball and stroked it into the empty net.
It really
