Some cup ties are full of incident, excitement and drama. Barnet’s FA Trophy first round match against Hayes & Yeading only had one of those aspects but crucially the Bees returned with a 1-0 victory.

Barnet’s performance was poor for the majority of the contest but they improved in the final stages. And, in the final minute of normal time, young striker George Sykes grabbed his first Bees goal as he acrobatically finished from close range to seal victory.

The match was played at Woking’s Kingfield Stadium and the majority of the 300 fans inside the ground were Barnet supporters.

Mark Byrne, Carl Fletcher, Kieran Cadogan and Edgar Davids replaced Luke Gambin, Jack Saville and David Stephens in the line-up and there was another switch as Elliot Johnson picked up an injury during the warm-up and Weston came in. It meant the Bees had no defenders in their starting XI.

There was little quality football played in the opening 45 minutes. Luisma Villa curled an early shot wide of the post and Jake Reid dragged an effort into the side netting.

Andy Yiadom, who began the game at left-back, then had a volley well stopped by Jamie Young after Hayes failed to clear a corner.

The home side almost broke the deadlock thanks to a mistake from Davids. The Bees captain gave the ball away 20 yards out and Reid was put through on goal. Fortunately for Barnet, Graham Stack was quickly off his line and denied the striker.

The visitors’ best opening of the half fell to Sykes. A long pass forward wasn’t dealt with by the Hayes defence and the ball dropped to the young striker. He drilled his shot straight at Young however.

United then came close as the Bees failed to defend three set-pieces. Dean Inman profited but was twice denied by Stack before powerfully heading wide.

The second period followed the same pattern as the first. Barnet looked lethargic while Hayes threatened when they broke forward.

Reid wasted a good chance after he mistimed a header and then the striker lashed wide from 18 yards when through on goal.

As the half progressed, Barnet’s superior fitness began to make the difference. Villa guided a free kick just wide and Sykes turned a cross from the Spaniard onto the crossbar from close range.

As the game entered the final five minutes, the Bees started to play with some urgency. Cadogan raced onto a pass from Keanu Marsh-Brown, held of the challenge of a defender but saw his effort saved.

It seemed a replay on Tuesday evening was inevitable, but Barnet grabbed victory in the final seconds.

Marsh-Brown looped a cross into the area and Cadogan headed the ball down. It dropped behind Sykes but the striker twisted his body and steered a shot past Young and into the net. The visitors comfortably saw out the game to secure their passage into the second round of the competition.

Hayes & Yeading: Young; Mills, Wassmer, Inman, Everitt; Mitchell, Merrifield, Harriott, Bird, Reid (English 88) Hayes & Yeading substitutes: Furlonge, Bersey, Thomson-Wheeler, Jaimez-Ruiz.

Barnet: Stack; Weston, Fletcher (Stephens 80), Davids, Yiadom; Abdulla (Nurse 61), Byrne, Villa; Marsh-Brown, Cadogan, Sykes (Casabella 90).

Barnet substitutes: Jupp, Casabella, Johnson.

Attendance: 302.