A late red card for Edgar Davids will take the headlines but Barnet are out of the League Two relegation zone after a 1-1 draw at home to Accrington Stanley.

After a goalless and fairly uneventful opening period, the visitors went ahead when Rommy Boco slotted home.

The Bees pulled level from the penalty spot through Mark Byrne. The midfielder’s first effort was saved but he smashed home after the assistant referee ordered a retake.

Davids was dismissed in the closing minutes after collecting a second yellow card but Barnet held on to claim a point to move out of the drop zone.

Mark Robson and Davids made three changes to their side as Ricky Holmes, Jordan Brown and Jon Nurse came into the starting line-up.

Neither team threatened in the early stages but Barnet looked the more dangerous going forward.

Nurse, who impressed on the right side of a front three, caused left-back Lee Molyneux problems throughout the opening period.

He did well to head a deep corner across goal but unfortunately for the hosts, the ball couldn’t be touched home.

Jake Hyde should’ve done better after turned Rob Atkinson well but he fired well wide of Ian Dunbavin’s goal.

The visitors rarely threatened the Barnet goal in the first half but they did have the ball in the net when James Gray headed past Graham Stack. However, the assistant referee flagged for offside.

Both sides struggled to create clear opportunities for the remainder of the half. Byrne saw a tame effort on goal easily stopped before Atkinson hooked a shot over the crossbar.

At the interval, Robson and Davids made two substitutions with David Stephens and Clovis Kamdjo replaced by Jon Fortune and Curtis Weston.

Barnet started the second period well and came close with Holmes and Davids forcing good saves from Dunbavin.

However, seven minutes after the restart, the Bees fell behind. A long ball from Dunbavin found Boco.

He shrugged off Brown and smashed an effort towards goal.

Stack brilliantly denied the shot but the strike rebounded into the path of Boco who passed the ball into an empty net.

The goal knocked the confidence of the Barnet players and the visitors enjoyed the majority of possession.

They perhaps should have doubled their lead when Luke Joyce crossed for Gray but he directed his header over the crossbar.

Barnet struggled to break down the Accrington defence but on 69 minutes, they won a penalty. Holmes received a pass and poked the ball on only for Joyce to clip him.

The assistant flagged and the referee pointed to the spot. Byrne stepped up but his effort was well saved.

However, the assistant referee ordered a retake and Byrne smashed the ball into the corner.

Both sides then pushed in search of a winner and Accrington thought they had retaken the lead when Peter Murphy touched the ball past Stack and passed the ball home.

However, for the second time, the goal was ruled out for offside.

With five minutes remaining, Davids was dismissed. The Dutchman, who had previously been booked for a foul on Will Hatfield, caught former England international James Beattie and referee Lee Collins showed him a second yellow card.

Despite the man disadvantage, Barnet created the better opportunities. Nurse headed wide a Byrne cross before Hyde curled a shot wide of the post.

The Bees saw out the contest to claim a deserved point and they’ll be back in action at Underhill on Tuesday when Oxford United are the visitors.

Barnet: Stack; Fuller, Pearce, Stephens (Fortune 45), Brown; Kamdjo (Weston 45), Byrne, Davids; Nurse, Holmes (Yiadom 88), Hyde.

Barnet substitutes: Cowler, Fortune, Lee, Yiadom, Edgar, Weston, Lowe.

Accrington Stanley: Dunbavin; Winnard, Atkinson, Murphy, Molyneux; Miller, Joyce, Boco; Gray, Hatfield (Beattie 79), Amond.

Accrington Stanley substitutes: Dawber, Liddle, Lindfield, Nsiala, Schofield, Barnett, Beattie.

Attendance: 2,238 (91)