5:03pm Tuesday 1st January 2008
By Paul Wreyford
Wycombe Wanderers 0 Barnet 0 . . .
Battling Barnet put in a superb defensive performance to earn a point at Adams Park this afternoon.
The Bees withstood some intense Wycombe pressure to halt the progress of their on-form hosts, who had won their last four games.
Barnet manager Paul Fairclough gave a debut to keeper Rob Beckwith, with Lee Harrison dropping to the bench. New signing Cliff Akurang also started at the expense of Adam Birchall. There was also a return for Ismail Yakubu, following his one-match suspension, and Ashley Carew.
The game started slowly with neither keeper troubled in the first 15 minutes.
Wycombe forced a couple of corners and Scott McGleish saw a glancing header from one of them finish wide of the post.
Matt Bloomfield then failed to keep a long-range effort down, as the hosts tried to up the tempo.
The Bees were looking com fortable at the back, but struggling to create much at the other end, Akurang playing as the lone striker.
John Sutton headed well wide at the back post from a Wycombe free-kick, before Beckwith did well to cut out a low cross from McGleish.
On 39 minutes, Bloomfield cut inside, the ball dropping kindly for him, but his shot from the edge of the box was deflected just wide.
Barnet had to wait until a minute before the break for their first shot on goal, Neal Bishop hitting a dipping half-volley from the edge of the box that just cleared the bar.
The half finished with Yakubu making a fine headed clearance, as Sutton looked to pounce on a cross from the right.
The Bees started the second half well and enjoyed far more possession, but Yakubu had to stick out a leg to block a fierce Sergio Torres volley at the other end, as the hosts continued to push.
The home fans at last started to get behind their team as the game entered its final 20 minutes, but the Chairboys were finding it tough to break down the resolute Barnet defence.
But the hosts looked like they had finally done so on 74 minutes, Bloomfield twisting and turning in the box, before placing his shot against the foot of the post with just Beckwith to beat.
Wycombe also thought they had scored a couple of minutes later when Beckwith failed to hold a shot, but McGleish had slotted home the rebound from an offside position.
Nicky Nicolau then almost sliced a cross into his own net as he raced back to clear another home foray.
The Bees continued to defend as though their lives depended on it and were even showing signs they might nick something on the break, Jason Puncheon driving wide after a typical run on 84 minutes.
But the Chairboys were doing most of the pressing and McGleish saw a shot go just over from the edge of the area.
Sub Stefan Oakes then saw a free-kick curl just past Beckwith's post.
At the other end, keeper Rab Douglas made a mess of a Nicolau cross, but the ball did not fall kindly for Akurang.
As the game entered stoppage time, Carew put Puncheon in the clear, but he took too long and did not even get a shot in, the Wycombe defence converging on him en masse.
Puncheon then saw a long-range effort gathered by Douglas as the Bees finished the stronger.
BARNET (4-5-1): Beckwith; Porter, Devera, Yakubu, Gillet; Carew, Leary, Bishop, Nicolau, Puncheon; Akurang. Subs not used: Harrison, O'Cearuill, Thomas, Birchall, Grazioli.
Attendance: 4,818.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.times-series.co.uk