Aldershot Town 1 Barnet 1 (From Times Series)

Aldershot Town 1 Barnet 1

4:55pm Monday 13th April 2009

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Barnet rounded off a fine Easter with a hard-earned point at the Recreation Ground this afternoon.

In a match full of chances at both ends, Michael Leary was the surprise man on target for the Bees, his early goal giving the visitors the perfect start.

Both sides hit the woodwork and both keepers were kept busy, making fine saves in what was an entertaining end-of-season encounter.

Barnet were forced to make one change from the side that beat Bournemouth on Saturday, Leary coming in for the injured Nicky Deverdics.

Ex-Bee Anthony Charles started for Aldershot, and was named the club's player of the month before kick-off.

The Bees took just four minutes to strike, Leary making room for himself and firing in a low shot from 20 yards that flew into the corner, keeper Nikki Bull not even moving.

The Shots looked to respond and Scott Donnelly forced Jake Cole to tip round a free-kick just a few minutes later.

But it was a great start from Barnet, now playing without the threat of relegation following Saturday's 1-0 win over the Cherries.

Albert Adomah dispossessed his marker and fed Adam Birchall, but the striker scuffed his shot and the ball rolled harmlessly wide.

At the other end, Kirk Hudson stole in to meet a free-kick, but his lob on the volley went just wide, Cole well beaten.

Hudson tried another lob on the half-hour, this time from the left. The ball again beat Cole, but was well wide on this occasion.

Scott Davies was well over with a driven free-kick, while Jake Robinson put over an inviting cross, only to see the ball run into touch with no home player on the end of it.

Aldershot were doing most of the pressing now, though Birchall should have done better for the visitors five minutes before the break. Bull parried his first effort and then the striker fired well over when the ball came back to him.

And Yannick Bolasie was just wide with a near-post header after a fine run and cross from full-back Joe Devera.

The Shots almost equalised at the start of the second period, Donnelly hitting the underside of the bar with a drive from the angle of the six-yard box.

However, they finally did so on 50 minutes, Davies' shot parried by Cole into the path of Lewis Chalmers, who had the simple task of slotting home the rebound.

It had been coming and you have to say it was deserved.

The hosts almost took the lead on 57 minutes, Charles seeing Cole push over his far-post header.

At the other end, Bull did well to save a Bolasie shot with his legs, before the same Barnet player drove into the side netting.

There was a blow for the visitors on 64 minutes, when Adomah was carried off on a stretcher following a tackle from behind.

But the Bees almost struck midway through the half, Paul Furlong rocking the crossbar with a cracking shot after a fine Nicky Nicolau pull-back.

Hudson was then allowed to run half the pitch for Aldershot, before Cole pushed over his shot.

The play was swinging from end to end, both sides looking capable of grabbing a winner.

With 20 minutes to go, Ismail Yakubu saw Bull tip over a header following a corner, the chances continuing to come.

Barnet were finishing the stronger, Birchall seeing a shot deflected just wide, as the Shots tired in the closing stages.

But the hosts were still a threat and Cole had to push round a Hudson shot with five minutes to go.

BARNET (4-4-2): Cole; Devera, Yakubu (Porter 90), Breen, Gillet; Adomah (Nicolau 64), Bishop, Leary, Bolasie; Furlong, Birchall. Subs not used: Kadoch, Tabiri, Charles.

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