Barnet continued their unbeaten start under Graham Westley after drawing 1-1 at Cheltenham Town.

The visitors got off to the perfect start at Whaddon Road when after just two minutes of play Ricardo Santos swept home a Ryan Watson corner.

The Bees were thwarted in the 65th minute when Mo Eisa capitalised on a defensive mix-up to level the scores.

Both sides could have claimed the three points right up until the last minute and while new boss Westley has led his charges to consecutive draws in his two games in charge to boost the bid to avoid relegation, Barnet simply need to start winning matches.

The Bees still remain marooned at the bottom of the table but with those clubs also in the relegation mire failing to win their matches over the weekend the gap has marginally narrowed.

Barnet set our their stall deploying a 4-4-2 formation with converted centre-back Dan Sweeney retaining his place, while Shaq Coulthirst and John Akinde were paired up front.

The Bees were on the front foot from the very first whistle with Watson getting a shot away after just 15 seconds on the clock.

Barnet have looked more threatening from set-plays under Westley and the work on the training ground paid dividends when Watson’s well-flighted corner found Santos, whose effort keeper Scott Flinders failed to hold as the away side took the lead.

A free-kick from Eisa from 30 yards moments later almost brought the Robins level, with the striker becoming increasingly influential as the game progressed.

Alarm bells rang when Craig Ross dropped Joe Morrell’s delivery into the middle but the Barnet keeper recovered quickly to smother the ball.

Coulthirst had an opportunity to double Barnet’s lead just after the half-hour mark when following another Watson corner, his low strike was kept out by Flinders.

The Robins created a number of opportunities to level with half-time approaching but the resilient Bees remained a goal to the good at the whistle.

The home side reorganised themselves during the interval, introducing two substitutes to make their side more offensive-minded.

Cheltenham began to dominate the play with their opponents now more content than ever to let the clock tick down and protect their lead.

Despite being penned back on a rare foray forward, Coulthirst got the better of Ilias Chatzitheodoridis only to drag his effort wide of the target.

But Cheltenham’s deserved leveller came in the 65th minute. Richard Brindley and Sweeney contested the same aerial challenge and in the confusion on-loan Fulham forward Elijah Adebayo neatly set-up Eisa to volley home from close range.

Captain Curtis Weston, who is still working his way back to full-fitness, was the stand-out player in a largely anonymous midfield until he was substituted after 73 minutes.

Hard-working substitute Simeon Akinola then almost re-established Barnet’s lead, while in the final minutes both sides sought a winner with Sweeney for the Bees and Cheltenham’s Adebayo both going close to securing a win for their teams.

This solitary point won on the road could be vital come the end of the season but the Bees are now winless in their last seven outings.

Barnet: Ross, Brindley, Sweeney, Santos, Tutonda, J.Taylor (Clough 53), Weston (Vilhete 73), Watson, Nicholls (Akinola 62), Coulthirst, Akinde. Subs not used: Campbell-Ryce, Bover, McKenzie-Lyle, Payne.