Showing great determination Barnet recorded a draw at Wycombe Wanderers that was built on sound defending with every part of the team fully contributing to the overall result. At times the Bees enjoyed a slice from the cake of good fortune but in the final moments Jason Puncheon had an opportunity to carve out a winning goal that could have seen Barnet record their fourth away victory of the season.
Barnet fielded two debutants. Rob Beckwith took over in goal from Lee Harrison and up front Cliff Akurang made his bow as a Football League player. He played as a lone striker, in a 4-5-1 formation. Ashley Carew won a place in the line up as the fifth midfielder, with striker Adam Birchall dropping to the bench. Ismail Yakubu returned from his one match suspension, with Joe Devera continuing at centre back.
The Bees had a game plan and stuck to it. Whilst it was ostensibly defensive, Barnet did construct numerous classic counter attacking moves. Each Barnet player worked hard to deny his opponents time to settle and were quick to get behind the ball when a move broke down. In central midfield Michael Leary had perhaps his most effective game to date, he tackled and distributed the ball well, yet annoyingly he picked up another caution.
The aerial prowess of the home team's striker John Sutton and the probing of the midfielder Tommy Doherty did give cause for concern but the Barnet players worked exceptionally hard to deny Wycombe at every opportunity.
Akurang playing up front on his own made a favourable impression. Hard working and showing a good first touch Bees boss Paul Fairclough said later that the ex-Histon man should be proud of his performance. He almost made it a scoring debut when following fumbling from the Scottish goalkeeper Rab Douglas he headed just over.
In the last quarter of the match the woodwork twice came to the rescue of the visitors and when Scott McGleish steered the ball into the net it appeared that the home side had made a crucial breakthrough. The referee assistant's flag raised high, signalling an offside infringement, however swiftly curtailed the Chairboys celebrations.
Time and time again Barnet players were involved in blocking crosses and putting their bodies in harms way to defend their goal. Nicky Nicolau exemplified this approach, manfully nullifying much of Wycombe's play down their right and still be able to contribute the occasional attacking foray of his own.
The Wycombe boss later apparently made disparaging remarks about Barnet's approach but as Paul Fairclough was subsequently to observe, his team were not there to be fodder for Wycombe Wanderers to pick off at will and that Barnet had asked questions that the Wycombe team were simply unable to find the answers to, and as a consequence Rob Beckwith could claim a clean sheet; the first by Barnet in the League since October 20 last year.
This result and the performance will undoubtedly renew the confidence of the Barnet players and provides just the right tonic as they look forward the 3rd round The FA Cup tie with Swindon town this Saturday.
(Bees Away Flag Count - 6)
David Bloomfield.
