Barnet came into the game unbeaten in their last 3 matches but having drawn their last two, though, in fairness, they were both away matches. Heavy rain during the morning meant that the game, played on a Sunday in front of the Sky cameras, was to be played on a rather slippery surface, which showed once the game got underway. Barnet had a lot of injury problems with both left backs, Elliott Johnson and Jordan Brown injured and, of course, right back, Andy Yiadom serving the second of his three match ban. Jack Saville covered on the left, Anthony Acheampong on the right with David Stephens and Edgar Davids playing in the centre of the defence. Barnet were also still missing Mark Byrne, Luke Gambin and Jake Hyde, who could be ut for 4-5 weeks, but were able to give a first start this season to Dani Lopez on a three month loan from Stevenage, having had a ;loan spell at Underhill last season. Lopez started up front as the lone striker.
Barnet went ahead after just 7 minutes when Jack Saville chased after what seemed to be a ball going out for a corner and kept the ball in and then supplied the perfect cross for Anthony ACHEAMPONG to head home past Coughlin in the Wrexham goal to put the Bees ahead with his first goal for the club.
Barnet had chances to increase the lead. Luisma played a superb ball inside the defender for Keanu Marsh-Brown but his shot was saved by Coughlin when he should perhaps have scored. Then late on in the half, Jack Saville was ever so unlucky when his header from close range hit the bar.
The Bees could have had a penalty too when Marsh-Brown’s shot clearly hit a Wrexham arm in the box. To be fair, Wrexham had their chances too and Graham Stack had to save from Keates and Harris with shots from long range but Barnet should probably have been more than a goal ahead at half time.
HT: Bees 1 Dragons 0
Barnet stuttered after the break and failed to really get a grip on the game and it was Wrexham who came closest to scoring, particularly Anyinsah whose shot was blocked by Stack and then Luisma saved a goal with a clearance off the line. However, with time beginning to run out it looked as though Barnet were going to hold on to all three points until the game exploded into action just a minute from time. Iffy Allen was adjudged to have committed afoul, harshly I think, just outside the Barnet penalty area and from nothing, Stephen Wright appeared to hit out at Edgar Davids who then retaliated and both were sent off. From the resulting free kick, Keates curled his free kick into the top corner past a despairing Stack. Barnet still seemed preoccupied with the sending offs when the free kick was taken and the defending did appear sloppy.
That was not the end of the action though as 6 minutes of additional time was awarded and Wrexham then had Johnny Hunt sent off for a very poor challenge on Curtis Weston. Mauro Vilhete then almost scored with a fine run and shot which Coughlin saved before David Stephens somehow managed to head wide when faced with an open goal right on the death. The miss cost the Bees two points in a game they really should have won if they had kept their heads. Barnet will also now have to do without Davids for three games too and it was significant that Wrexham scored when Davids was sent off as the Bees’ boss had been Barnet’s best player in the game and had been responsible for mopping up many of the team’s mistakes before he was sent off. With Yiadom’s suspension meaning he will miss the Hereford game on Saturday, Barnet desperately need to get at least one of their left backs fit or try to get someone in on loan. The draw leaves Barnet 9th, four points off of the play off places, but it is of course still early days.
FT: Bees 1 Dragons 1
Barnet Mad Bees’ Man of the Match: Edgar Davids
Barnet: Stack; Acheampong, Stephens, Davids, Saville; Marsh-Brown, Weston (Vilhete 95), Roberto Casabella (Abdulla 44), Cadogan, Luisma (Allen 75) ; Lopez
Subs Not Used: Jupp, Mengerink.
Att: 2143