Barnet in seaside bore draw

12:49pm Saturday 8th October 2005

Torquay United 0 Barnet 0 . . .

Barnet overcame a late injury crisis to grind out a fourth consecutive draw at Plainmoor last night.

The Bees were rocked by the absence of star striker Giuliano Grazioli, who was forced to pull out after injuring his calf in the warm-up.

And that was added to the earlier blow of defender Simon King also pulling out the day before.

Grazioli's late withdrawl meant Ben Strevens and Liam Hatch started up front and, though they were unable to find the net, Barnet did enough to earn a point and another clean sheet.

Manager Paul Fairclough said: "The game went exactly to plan . . . to battle them (Torquay) out and then pick them off in the last 20 minutes. If there had been another five minutes, that's what would have happened."

There is no doubt the Bees finished the stronger, but, despite forcing a number of late corners, they were unable to complete the job.

This was a poor game with few chances at either end.

There was nothing in the opening exchanges to get excited about and the first effort did not come until the half-hour mark. Having been awarded a free-kick just inside the centre circle, Ian Hendon tried an audacious lob that almost caught Andy Marriott out. The Torquay keeper was busy arranging his wall and only just got back to tip the ball over his bar.

Leon Constantine looked the most dangerous home player but his finishing was poor and Ross Flitney was only really forced into one routine save from him, the keeper pushing away a low shot across his goal.

Alan Connell also saw a volley saved by Flitney on the stroke of half-time but it was a tame effort and no problem for the in-form Barnet number one.

The game failed to improve after the interval. A whistle-happy referee and a number of offsides never helped matters.

Strevens had Barnet's best chance. He latched on to a Liam Hatch flick-on but fired over the bar as Marriott came to meet him midway through the half.

The Bees looked the likelier to find a breakthrough in the closing stages, but it was the Gulls who carved out the clearest chance in the final minute.

For once, Connell beat the offside trap but shot straight into the arms of the grateful Flitney. It just about summed up the match.

BARNET (4-4-2): Flitney; Batt, Hendon, Charles, Gross; Bailey, Sinclair, Lee, Graham; Strevens, Hatch.