Martin Allen stuck his policy of refusing to blame the officials after seeing Barnet concede an injury-time penalty to draw 1-1 at Alfreton Town but conceded it was disappointing not take all three points.
The Barnet head coach is relentlessly bullish after matches and has never criticised the decision of a referee after a game this season when speaking to the media.
And despite seeing two points lost in the dying seconds at North Street after former Bee Dan Bradley went to ground under a challenge from John Akinde, Allen was true to form.
He stated: “The referee gave it, so it is a penalty.” Asked what the players had said in the dressing room, he repeated: “The referee makes his decision and we all accept his decision. He gave it and we have to get on with it.”
Stand-in-skipper Curtis Weston put the Bees ahead with his eighth of the season and third in as many away games.
And Barnet looked on-course for a big three points which would have seen them move three clear of Bristol Rovers in second place after they played out a goalless draw at Macclesfield Town in the lunchtime kick-off.
But the ever-upbeat Allen did not – publically at least – feel it was an opportunity missed, contrary to popular opinion.
He reasoned: “I do not really view it like that, I have got to say – never have, never will. I just work on our team, work on what we do. I wanted to win the game. At 1-0 we were very comfortable. But to lose out from a last-minute penalty off of a long throw, of course that is disappointing.
“They (the players) don’t need lifting. When we win we do not celebrate and when we draw there is no sadness; disappointment, only disappointment.”
The dropped point was all the more frustrating given the home side mustered just four shots on the Bees’ goal – only two of which were on target – in 90 minutes plus almost five additional minutes.
Allen felt Barnet had coped comfortably with the limited threat of Nicky Law’s side. He said: “It is another point towards our total. I am bitterly disappointed [because] I don’t think they had a shot towards our goal in the second half. [We were playing] against the wind and that slope, which was very difficult to play against.
“The long throws and free-kicks were always going to be a danger but up to that point we had defended them fantastically well and I suppose at the time it was a bitterly disappointing decision. But in the second half we played very well and should have won comfortably.”
You can read the match report from North Street by clicking here.
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