IF BARNET are to get back to their best, they need star player Albert Adomah to be firing on all cylinders.

And you could not really fault the winger on Saturday.

He created most of the home side's chances; scored the equaliser and came within an inch of hitting the winner.

It was not quite a one-man show, with manager Ian Hendon also singling out defender Joe Devera for praise, but Adomah is the sort of player the fans love to watch and his importance for the Bees cannot be over-estimated.

Hendon said: "Albert is back to his old self and I'm delighted he's playing like that. He's got to do that until the end of the season now."

Adomah's goal, ten minutes before the interval, was no more than the hosts deserved. John O'Flynn won the ball and teed the winger up in a central position just inside the box. Adomah swung his right foot and the ball found the very top corner, giving the keeper no chance.

The Robins had stunned Barnet with a goal midway through the first half, with their first chance of the match. Josh Low got to the byline and rolled the ball across the six-yard box for Matt Thornhill to touch home from just a couple of yards.

It was a poor goal to concede, but other than that lapse in concentration at the back, the Barnet defence looked pretty solid throughout the afternoon.

Of centre-back Devera, who has played most of his games at right-back, Hendon said: "I actually think Joe is a better centre-half, in my opinion. But it doesn't matter where he is playing, if he plays like that, he will stay in the team."

Alongside the experienced Gary Breen, Devera looked calm and assured, winning almost every ball in the air.

Barnet actually played better in the first half, but Cheltenham made more of a game of it in the second and the points could have gone either way in the end.

Hendon said he was pleased with the response of his side after the Robins had taken a shock lead.

"We came back into the game and didn't fold. We didn't lose any confidence after their goal, and built on that.

"I think the performance deserved more than a point. I think we played some good stuff."

With a little more luck, the Bees would have claimed all three points, Adomah coming within a whisker of grabbing the winner 15 minutes from time. His snapshot cracked against the bar and bounced on to the line before being cleared.

Despite the appeals that the ball had crossed the line, Hendon did not think it had.

"It looked like a good finish, but Albert did not claim it went over the line and that says everything."

With Cheltenham below Barnet in the table, it was important the Bees at least never lost this game and, once again, the performance gave another indication that they are finally turning the corner.

BARNET (4-4-2): Cole; O'Neill, Devera, Breen, Lockwood; Adomah, M Hyde, Livermore, Jarrett; O'Flynn, J Hyde (Sawyer 77). Subs not used: Carpenter, Gillet, Deen, Kamdjo, Deverdics, Furlong.

Attendance: 1,677.