Barnet created sufficient opportunities to have given themselves an unassailable lead during the first-half, but only had John Akinde’s third minute effort to show for their dominance in a 1-1 draw at Crawley Town.

An equaliser mid-way through the second period gave the home side a point and took Crawley to second place in the table.

Barnet boss Martin Allen kept faith with the starting XI that had played so well against Blackpool in the home fixture in midweek, but was able to welcome last season’s Player of the Year Jamie Stephens back into the match-day squad fold, with the keeper being named as a substitute.

The home side, buoyed by their midweek victory at Exeter, started on the front foot, but it was the Bees who would strike first.

A poor goal kick by Yusuf Mersin was headed back towards the Crawley goal by the influential Sam Togwell where John Akinde won the battle for the ball with centre-back Alex Davey before powering a shot into the top left hand corner.

Moments later Akinde again got behind the home side's rearguard but this time Mersin was able to parry the striker’s effort for a corner.

Barnet were carving out good goalscoring opportunities almost at will, with a diving header by Akinde from a Elliott Johnson centre going close to giving the Bees a two-goal lead their approach play warranted.

Crawley did manage to look dangerous on one occasion in the first 45 minutes when, with almost 30 minutes of play gone, Josh Payne hit a shot from 20 yards which Josh Vickers pushed wide of a post for a corner.

With half-time looming a top-quality move involving Johnson and Michael Nelson led to Akinde shooting from a narrow angle with the ball going agonisingly close.

Within 15 seconds of the restart Ryan Watson had a shot from distance as the Bees continued to dominate.

Play was mostly confined in the half that Crawley were defending, although their wide men, Jason Banton and Enzio Boldewijn, did occasionally pose a threat on the break.

With the Bees failing to establish a two-goal cushion there was always the threat that Crawley could conjure an equaliser and after a brief period of pressure the Red Devils drew level after 67 minutes.

Central defender Joe McNerney was on hand to head home from close range when he followed up a James Collins shot that had rattled the crossbar.

The Bees then set about re-establishing their lead with headers from Bira Dembele and Mauro Vilhete going close.

In a rare breakaway Banton hit a good shot from 30 yards that whistled over the crossbar but the game closed with the Bees encamped in the Crawley half trying to find the winning goal.

The home side left the pitch to loud applause from the home fans, acknowledgement of the dogged defending that had won their team a point.

Barnet will be marginally disappointed with the outcome as they can point to chances galore that they had carved out for themselves and had they been more clinical in front of goal three points were there for the taking.

The Bees remain undefeated this season, but dropped from third to eighth in the table, a point behind the play-off places.

Crawley Town: Mersin, Young, Davey, McNerney, Blackman, Payne (Yorwerth 57), Smith, Clifford (Yussuf 57), Boldewijn (Harrold 78), Collins, Banton. Unused subs: Beeney, Arthur, Connolly, Bawling.

Barnet: Vickers, Taylor, Dembele, Nelson, Johnson, Nicholls (Muggleton 78), Watson (Vilhete 57), Togwell, Weston, Akpa-Akpro (Batt 78), Akinde. Unused subs: Stephens, N'Gala, Champion, Tomlinson.