BARNET had to settle for their first draw of the National League season on Tuesday night after a goalless stalemate at Wrexham.

With boss Peter Beadle still out of the dugout following his positive Covid-19 test and several first-team players also self-isolating, the depleted Bees will have regarded it as a positive point following the difficult circumstances they’ve faced.

It took until almost the half-hour for the first real chance of a stop-start encounter to arrive when Elliott Durrell wasn’t far away from connecting with Anthony Jeffrey’s near-post cross for the hosts.

Barnet keeper Aymen Azaze did just enough to parry a Kwame Thomas effort before opposite number Rob Lainton was also called into action to deal with Eliot Richards’ deflected strike.

Lainton did well to deal with Alex McQueen’s powerful free-kick for the visitors after the restart, while Azaze had to repel a good strike from Jeffrey.

However, chances continued to remain in short supply in a game that struggled to find any regular pattern or rhythm, with stoppages in play also doing little to help the quality of the entertainment on offer.

However, the Bees did go close with 12 minutes of normal time remaining when Michael Petrasso sought to capitalise on a quick breakaway, but he was denied by Lainton.

The Wrexham keeper also denied the visitors at the death when he did well to deny Josh Walker following another swift counter-attack.

That draw followed Saturday’s 3-2 victory at Leiston which secured Barnet an FA Cup first round date at home to Burton Albion.

The League One strugglers will visit The Hive over the weekend of November 7 for the tie which will be played behind closed doors.

The youthful Bees twice had to come from behind to make it through the Fourth Qualifying Round encounter thanks to a debut brace from Petrasso, his goals coming either side of a JJ Hooper penalty.