GULLS ROCK BOTTOM AFTER DEFEAT

Barnet 1 v 0 Torquay Utd

Nick Bailey's early strike was enough to secure Barnet a 1-0 victory against struggling Torquay.

The midfielder arrived to meet Liam Hatch's neat lay-off and bury a clinical eight-yard shot past Andy Marriott.

It was Bailey's fifth goal of the season and condemned Torquay to their eighth away defeat - but the visitors were left to rue a disastrous missed penalty from Paul Robinson.

Just two minutes after Bailey's goal, Barnet defender Damien Batt was adjudged to have tugged Robinson's shirt inside the box.

But after dusting himself down, the Torquay striker could only drag his spot-kick woefully wide.

Robinson's strike partner Ian Stonebridge, on loan from Wycombe, was just as guilty as he wasted a glorious chance to equalise shortly before the interval.

Saturday's 0-1 defeat at Barnet plunged them even deeper into relegation trouble. Since they beat Cheltenham 1-0 away on October 1, United's only win in nine games has been the penalty shoot-out, after two draws, against Conference North side Harrogate Town in the FA Cup.

Since chairman Mike Bateson sent Rosenior on his three-day battery-recharging leave recently, United have lost all three league matches (Boston, Carlisle and Barnet).

They are now three points adrift at the bottom of League Two and, because of their inferior goal-difference, five points away from a safety place.

United have scored only 15 goals in 18 league games, and only two-from-bottom Stockport (35) have conceded more than their 31 goals against.

Bateson has closed down the club's website Message Board, to stop supporters' mailing abusive criticism.

But many of their 371 travelling fans at Barnet greeted the final whistle with boos at the weekend.

Rosenior insisted: "We are going to keep working and stick together.

"We are going to get out of it together."

United now face two successive games against Notts County - away in the league on Saturday and home in the FA Cup seven days later.

Herald Express 19/11/05