Barnet added a point to their points tally with a scoreless draw against Northampton at Underhill in the last game of the year, despite being down to 10 men for the last half an hour following the dismissal of Dean Sinclair for two bookable offences.

Joe Devera and Ismail Yakubu were selected at centre backs, with Ryan O'Neill and Kenny Gillet filling the full back slots. The return to fitness of O'Neill and Devera has given boss Ian Hendon a significant increase in the number of options when putting out his back four.

On the back of the 4-0 reversal at Aldershot changes were made. Sinclair started on the right at the expense of Albert Adomah with Albert Jarrett taking over on the left from Yannick Bolasie. Craig McAllister partnered John O'Flynn up front with Micah Hyde returning as skipper in central midfield.

In the opening moments Jarrett put in a number of crosses which although did not lead to any direct strikes on goal gave some hope that the level of performance would be an improvement on that seen at the Recreation Ground a few days previous.

On eight minutes an O'Flynn volley nearly scraped inside the near post, with Sinclair, Jarrett and Yakubu with a header all going close to giving Barnet a first half lead.

In the first 45 minutes the football offered up from both sides did not lack endeavour, but moments of inspiration and guile were few and far between.

In the second minute of the second half Northampton's Luke Guttridge found himself free in the inside-right position but his effort was wayward.

With some half an hour remaining Sinclair having already being cautioned in the first half was deemed by the referee Chris Sarginson to have committed another cautionable offence when Peter Gilbert advanced through the middle and approached the Barnet penalty area.

With 30 minutes or more to go Ian Hendon was required to rearrange his formation. Bolasie and Adomah were introduced so whilst the Bees were playing without a traditional striker, on the occasions they could break they could do so with speed.

The ploy also had the effect on introducing an element of caution into Northampton's play as they needed to be alert to the different dangers that Barnet now offered and they did not push men forward as they might.

However a hesitation by Devera in his own penalty area looked to have given Billy McKay a chance to open the scoring, but his reaction time was too slow, Row Z Joe!

Very late on Adomah looked to have been fouled in the penalty box, following a stong run at the Northampton defence, but the referee did not give a spot-kick.

With the Bees without a game until 9 January when they visit Shrewsbury it was important not to have to sit and ponder a defeat for that period of time, and with being down to 10 men for a large slice of the match some credit clearly needs to go to the players for putting in a determined performance that contrasted considerably with that on offer at Aldershot.

David Bloomfield.