Barnet got what they deserved at Saltergate, a draw and a point to take home, after a resolute and determined display that whilst never hitting the heights of the Bradford City performance did indicate that the Bees are not a soft touch on the road.
Ian Hendon selected the same team that started against Bradford and continued with an attacking 4-4-2 formation which features two fast wing men in Albert Adomah and Yannick Bolasie.
In the centre of defence Ismail Yakubu and Gary Breen were impressive form, nullifying the home side's attacking efforts and slowly the Bees began to emerge as the dominant force in the first half.
A left foot free kick rasper from Matt Lockwood nearly gave the visitors the lead midway through the first half and it was no surprise then when Barnet took the lead in the 32nd minute. Following a corner Gary Breen delivered the ball back into the box where Yakubu latched onto the loose ball and stabbed the ball home from close range.
Just before the half time interval, in a breakaway move, Adomah picked the ball up in his own half and sped goalwards but his effort was wayward; this was a good opportunity and the Bees would surely have been set fair had they established a two goal advantage.
Chesterfield started the second period instantly on the attack with Aaron Downes going close with a header as Lee Harrison was called upon to make series of quality saves to keep the home side at bay.
The introduction of Lewis Montrose spurred on the Spireites as they searched for an equaliser. The teenage midfielder, recently signed on loan from Wigan, started to influence proceedings and soon hit a shot from 30 yards that Harrison did well to push away for a corner.
From the resulting restart centre back Danny Hall managed to prod the ball over the line to level the scores. The home side had successfully managed to force their way back into the game and Harrison again needed to be alert to save at the feet of Lloyd Kerry.
With ten minutes remaining the Bees almost snatched all three points when a free kick from the edge of the box by Lockwood was too good for the defensive wall and went narrowly wide.
The Barnet players had worked hard for their point; Harrison did well when called upon, Yakubu and Breen looked a good combination and Bolasie took the ball to the opposition on many occasions and was tenacious in pressing the ball.
Chesterfield and Barnet each had chances to forge ahead of the other but the consensus after the final whistle from both camps was that a draw was a fair result.
The Bees now have two home games in a week, second placed Rochdale this Tuesday and Chester City on Saturday.
David Bloomfield.
