9:57pm Saturday 22nd April 2006
By Paul Wreyford
Chester City 0 Barnet 0 . . .
Battling Barnet put in an excellent performance at the Deva Stadium this afternoon to edge closer to safety.
All that was missing was a goal.
The Bees will just hope they are not left to rue a host of near misses in a one-sided second half.
After a tight opening 45 minutes, Barnet took control and did everything but score.
But if they show this sort of desire and commitment in their remaining three games, they will surely secure their League Two survival.
The Bees go into Tuesday's clash at Rochdale four points above the drop zone and three points will go a long way to cementing their place in the Football League.
Chester had the early chances and Jake Edwards should have scored as early as the seventh minute, but he volleyed over from six yards from a Greg Blundell pull-back.
Edwards then saw Ross Flitney block an effort from the edge of the box.
At the other end, Liam Hatch headed a Dean Sinclair free-kick well over and then saw keeper Chris Mackenzie block a shot right on half-time after Barry Fuller had slipped him through down the right.
But Barnet really moved up a gear in the final half-hour of the match. Tresor Kandol headed an Andy Hessenthaler cross wide from eight yards and then fired across the face of the goal after his back-post header had hit a defender and sat up invitingly.
The striker turned provider in the 80th minute when he flicked the ball into the path of Nicky Bailey. The midfielder had just the keeper to beat but Mackenzie got a feint touch to divert the ball wide.
From the corner, Hatch had a shot turned goalwards by Fuller in the six-yard box but there was a defender on the line to clear.
Hatch might have earned a penalty five minutes from time when he appeared to be hauled back as he cut inside his marker, but nothing was given and the hosts held on to deny Barnet what would have been their first away win since August.
BARNET (4-4-2): Flitney; Hendon, Warhurst, King, Clist; Sinclair, Hessenthaler, Fuller, Bailey; Hatch (Strevens 90), Kandol. Subs not used: Reed, Gross, Vernazza, Roache.
Attendance: 2,367.
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