Last Saturday was a tough day at the office for Barnet, with the Bees having not one but two players sent off before half time in the 3-1 defeat at MK Dons. Manager Paul Fairclough was less than impressed with the dismissals of both Dean Sinclair and Ian Hendon and the club has launched an appeal to the FA in an attempt to overturn the red cards so both players will be available for this weekend's FA Cup tie against Plymouth. The pair should know their fate within the next 24 hours and givemefootball's Mark Shail spoke to experienced defender Hendon to get his thoughts on the matter.
Q:TELL US ABOUT THE TWO RED CARDS ON SATURDAY?
A:I thought they were both extremely harsh decisions. The first incident saw Dean Sinclair slide into a tackle with one of their players from a distance and if anything he won the ball. It was only the speed of the tackle that made it look a little over-zealous, but it was a perfectly good challenge. I was given a straight red for an alleged elbow, but I was nowhere near the player's face with my arms. If anything, he caught me in my face with his arm.
Q:ARE YOU HOPEFUL OF GETTING THE BANS OVERTURNED?
A:I'm more than hopeful. If the red card is upheld it means I will miss this weekend's FA Cup game against Plymouth and two other league games. Of the two incidents, I probably stand the better chance of getting the decision reversed but I'm optimistic the panel will come to the conclusion that neither of the incidents warranted a sending-off.
Q:WHEN ARE YOU LIKELY TO KNOW THE OUTCOME?
A:I'm not exactly sure what the time scale is for it but these kind of things seem to be turned around a lot quicker than they used to in the past – I'm hoping I'll get some good news by tomorrow at the latest. All I can do is go into the club, train hard, and keep my fingers crossed that the decision goes my way.
Q:BEFORE THAT DEFEAT AT MK DONS, THINGS WERE GOING REALLY WELL FOR THE CLUB?
A:Yeah, we've been flying. This season has been almost the exact opposite to last year. Last season we started really well but suffered a dip in form in the second half and in the end we were scrapping away to avoid being sucked into the relegation battle. This season we started poorly but since November we've really clicked into gear and produced some excellent performances. In fact, even when we were down to ten men against MK Dons I still felt we were the better side.
Q:WHAT DO TOU PUT THE UPTURN IN FORM DOWN TO?
A:We signed Adam Birchall from Mansfield and he's given us a different dimension up front. He has worked his socks off for the cause, scoring some vital goals, and his arrival has had a big impact on the team because last year we struggled to find the net when we were on top in games. The fact that we've already beaten Northampton and Colchester in the Carling Cup shows we must be doing something right.
Q:ARE THE PLAY-OFFS A POSSIBILITY THIS SEASON?
A:Anything is possible. At the moment we're only four-points outside the top seven and if we had won last Saturday it would have been down to a point, so we're within touching distance. It's case of not looking forward too far, taking very game as it comes, and keep playing the way we have been. After the Plymouth game we've got two important league matches against Notts County and Torquay and if we could take maximum points from those who knows what's possible?
Q:DO YOU THINK ONE OF THE CURRENT TOP THREE - WALSALL, SWINDON AND MK DONS – WILL TAKE THE TITLE?
A:I would think so because they have been the in-form sides for the majority of the season. But a lot can happen between now and May. Hartlepool have been on a good run so don't under-estimate them, while Stockport have climbed into the top seven and are also playing well.
