Morecambe 0 Barnet 0 . . .

Barnet did their best to spoil the Morecambe party and came within an inch of stealing the show completely.

The Football League newcomers will consider themselves fortunate to have secured a point in their historic opening fixture at Christie Park this afternoon.

The Bees created most of the chances and almost won it five minutes from time, striker Anthony Thomas seeing his rasping drive pushed on to the bar by keeper Joe Lewis.

That was the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock in an entertaining curtain raiser to the new campaign.

But Barnet, who started with five of their new signings, surely came off the more disappointed. A point against a side still on a high following promotion from the Conference is not a bad return, and the performance will have given fans much cause for optimism, but there was still an empty feeling in the stomach at the final whistle.

Morecambe had started the brighter and dominated the opening exchanges, but the Bees soon got into their stride and got stronger the longer the game went on.

Michael Twiss nudged Nicky Nicolau off the ball to register the first chance after three minutes, but Lee Harrison blocked his low shot.

At the other end, Barnet created three openings in as many minutes midway through the first half.

Lewis did well to turn away an Adam Birchall shot that bounced just in front of him, while Sagi Burton failed to keep a back-post header down from an Ashley Carew free-kick.

Jason Puncheon and Birchall then combined to set up Thomas, but he pulled his shot from the edge of the box wide.

The Bees virtually dominated the second half. A Michael Leary snapshot curled just the wrong side of the post, while Birchall drove straight into Lewis' arms from a tight angle.

Twiss gave Barnet a scare at the other end when he lobbed the out-rushing Harrison out wide but the ball bounced across the face of the goal.

Thomas then set up Birchall on the hour, the striker's driven shot deflected into the side netting.

Within two minutes, Garry Hunter squandered Morecambe's best chance, volleying over after a neat lay-off.

The final 20 minutes belonged to Barnet. Thomas saw a driven effort headed out from just inside the six-yard box before both Birchall and Leary just failed to reach a whipped-in Carew cross. Leary then saw a 25-yard effort fall the wrong side of the post as the visitors stepped up the pressure.

It seemed only a matter of time for the Bees and Thomas looked to have won it after Puncheon set him up, but Lewis brilliantly pushed his rising drive across goal on to the bar to earn Morecambe their first point in League football.

BARNET (4-4-2): Harrison; Devera, Yakubu, Burton, Nicolau; Carew (Porter 90), Leary, Bishop, Puncheon; Birchall, Thomas (Hatch 88). Subs not used: Beckwith, Hendon, Seanla.

Attendance: 3,633.