Barnet started the day in 2nd place in the table and entertaining newly promoted Nuneaton town, who were 3rd. It was the first time the two clubs have met though Barnet had played Nuneaton Borough before many times. The Bees were unchanged from the side that won last Saturday at Gateshead and Nuneaton
Barnet started the game very strongly and had already come close to scoring when a fine ball from Mark Byrne found Luke Gambin out wide and he put over a fine cross for Jake HYDE to fire home on 16 minutes from close in to put the Bees top of the table.
The home side continued to dominate and Keanu Marsh-Brown came close with a fine shot that brought out an equally fine save from Evtimov, the Nuneaton keeper. Marsh-Brown got into another good position but delayed his shot too long and the ball was cleared.
Nuneaton barely featured in the first half and it was totally against the run of play when Andy Brown equalized for them from close range with a header following some very sloppy defensive play from the home side.
Barnet should have regained the lead straight away when a fine cross from Marsh-Brown was headed over by Hyde who should have scored.
HT; Bees 1 Boro 1
The visitors came much more into the game after the break and largely stifled Barnet’s play with Luke Gambin often having two defenders on him. Nuneaton gave the home side a few scares and they even had a penalty shout midway through the game. Barnet had chances too and Marsh-Brown maybe could have done better when well placed and substitutes Harry Crawford and Marciano Mengerink. However, too often the approach play was predictable and too slow and the Bees lacked a cutting edge, though they did look sharper for the substitutions. However, the Bees did enough to have won and Edgar Davids will see this as two points lost that his side should really have won.
The Bees slipped to 4th in the table and visit Braintree on Monday. Braintree are 7th in the table after winning 2-0 away at Dartford.
Barnet Mad Bees’ Man of the Match: Keanu Marsh-Brown
FT: Bees 1 Boro 1
Barnet: Stack; Yiadom, Stephens, Acheampong , Johnson; Marsh-Brown , Weston, Roberto Casabella (Crawford 64), Byrne, Gambin (Mengerink 80); Hyde.
Subs Not Used: Jupp, Vilhete, Saville.
Att: 1507