A Barnet team featuring a collection of trialists were pegged back from a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Peterborough United.

The home side had their opponents rocked inside the first minute when captain Izale McLeod converted a Mark Marshall cross to steal the lead.

The home side doubled their advantage shortly after with Marshall again the provider as Ricky Holmes converted to the keeper’s left.

Lee Frecklington pulled a goal back for the visitors on 25 minutes while Lee Tomlin squared the match just after the interval.

McLeod and Holmes started up front for the Bees with strikers Charlie Taylor and Steve Kabba, who has just agreed a new two-year deal to stay at Underhill, missing out through injury.

Trialist goalkeeper Stuart Searle started in goal as new boss Sanchez continues his search for a new man between the sticks following Jake Cole’s release, leaving former Portsmouth stopper Liam O’Brien on the bench.

Searle was one of four trialists in the Barnet squad, joined in the starting line up by former Wycombe and Millwall defender Danny Senda, while Harrow Borough attacking full back Ryan Watts was on the bench alongside striker Leon Constantine.

Former Cardiff defender Darren Dennehy was also on the bench for the Bees following his injury-wrecked campaign last year, while there was a familiar face in the Peterborough line up as the visitors included former Bees loanee Grant Basey.

The hosts made a blistering start to the game, shocking their Championship opponents with a goal inside the first minute.

Kicking up hill, a low cross from Marshall on the left found McLeod unmarked in the middle, who’s first time right-footed shot found the corner to hand Sanchez’s side the advantage.

Perhaps still wishing they were on the beach following a lethargic start, Posh hit back and went close when Gabriel Zakuani poked wide following a scramble in the box.

McLeod was proving a handful up front for the Bees, hassling the Posh defence into a mistake which he was unable to capitalise on while proving a useful target man.

The Bees’ pressure paid off just before the quarter-hour mark, when Ricky Holmes doubled the lead.

The always dangerous Marshall poked the ball in the direction of the striker who made the most of Zakuani’s slip, to put the ball beyond Paul Jones in the visitors’ goal.

A rocked Peterborough side started to find their way into the game and a free-flowing move saw Tommy Rowe fire low at goal but Searle was a match to the effort, palming the ball wide, before Lee Frecklington blasted over from distance.

Frecklington went close again shortly after, pouncing on a loose pass from Clovis Kamdjo, before the Posh midfielder reduced the deficit on 25 minutes, finding himself unmarked at the back post to blast the ball between Searle’s legs.

Rowe then went close to levelling proceedings, just missing Paul Taylor’s low cross when any touch would surely have resulted in an equaliser, as the Bees held the advantage at the break.

With both sides ringing the changes at half time, the visitors started the brightest and levelled after 47 minutes through Tomlin.

Stretching to block a through ball, Bees full back Senda could only prod the ball into the path of David Ball, who neatly squared for Tomlin to finish in an empty net.

The mass changes at half time had seen the sting taken out of the game, with neither side able to create a clear chance for long spells.

Substitute Mauro Vilhete had the Bees’ best chance to regain the lead with a free header, which the wide man was unable to direct goalwards following an exquisite cross from Senda on the right before trialist Halls sent a blistering shot just over, as the hosts tried to make the most of kicking downhill.

The visitors came close to snatching a win late on when George Boyd burst through the box to cross but Ball was unable to make any connection.

The Bees continue their warm-up campaign on Wednesday when they host Tony Adams’ Gabala at Underhill.

Barnet: Stuart Searle, Danny Senda, Mark Hughes, Anwar Uddin, Daniel Leach, Clovis Kamdjo, Mark Byrne, Izale McLeod, Sam Deering, Ricky Holmes, Mark Marshall.

Subs: Liam O’Brien, Jordan Parkes, Darren Dennehy, Ryan Watts, Tommy Fraser, Sam Cox, Mauro Vilhete, Leon Constantine.

Peterborough: Paul Jones, Mark Little, Grant Basey, Gabriel Zakuani, Nicky Ajose, Grant McCann, Tommy Rowe, Joe Newell, Carl Piergianni, Paul Taylor, Lee Frecklington.

Subs: Scott Whotton, Lee Tomlin, David Ball, George Boyd, Joe Day, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Nathan Ralph, Craig Allcock.

Attendance: 531.