No goals and it certainly wasn’t a classic but Barnet claimed another point in their battle against League Two relegation after a 0-0 draw at home against Rochdale.
After an uneventful opening half, the second period saw the Bees create the better chances. Dani Lopez flicked header went just wide and Andy Yiadom headed against the post.
Substitute Craig Beattie fired narrowly past the post late on and Barnet were unable to make the breakthrough.
It could prove a vital point come the end of the campaign but the Bees players will feel they did enough to claim victory.
Edgar Davids made five changes to the Barnet side that defeated York City. Lopez, Jake Hyde, Curtis Weston, Elliot Johnson and Bondz N’Gala all came into the starting XI.
It was a first half devoid of chances and any real quality. Barnet built up several attacks well but lacked the subtlety to break through the Dale defence.
Andrew Tutte sent a free-kick comfortably over Graham Stack’s crossbar and Lopez fired harmlessly wide from distance.
Neither side looked likely to break the deadlock in the first half and the only other opportunity saw a Hyde flick on at the near post well blocked.
The second period was much more eventful and both teams attacked from the restart.
George Donnelly forced Stack into a good low save and Barnet countered quickly. Yiadom dribbled his way into the area but his shot cleared the crossbar.
Mark Byrne’s over-hit cross almost caught out Josh Lillis but the Dale goalkeeper reacted well to push the ball over the crossbar.
Keith Hill’s men improved in possession after half-time and only a fine one-handed stop from Stack denied Terry Gornell.
Lopez seamlessly settled into the Barnet side and he looked most likely to put the Bees ahead.
The Spanish striker first headed a Byrne free-kick just past the post before he forced Lillis into a routine save with a strike from 25-yards.
Barnet created the better opportunities throughout the second half and Yiadom thought he had put the Bees ahead but his header the struck the crossbar and bounced onto the line. The ball was then cleared.
The introduction of Craig Beattie as a 67 minute substitute meant the Bees went slightly more direct in their approach.
The Scottish international almost broke the deadlock with ten minutes remaining as he tricked his way past a defender on the edge of the box and fired a shot just wide of the post.
Dale, bar one shot, had failed to test Stack throughout but he was almost beaten as Jason Kennedy connected with a half-volley and the ball just drifted past the post.
It proved to be the last chance of the match as neither side were able to create a clear opportunity in the final five minutes.
Barnet will feel they did enough to claim all three points though as Stack was rarely tested throughout the 90 minutes.
Barnet are back at Underhill on Tuesday as they welcome Southend United.
Barnet: Stack; Fuller, Stephens, N’Gala, Johnson; Byrne, Davids, Weston (Kamdjo 73), Yiadom (Vilhete 79); Lopez, Hyde (Beattie 67).
Barnet substitutes: Brown, Kamdjo, Gambin, Vilhete, N’Toko, Barnes, Beattie.
Rochdale: Lillis; Bennett; Cansdell-Sherriff, Edwards, McIntyre, Barry-Murphy (Rose 62), Kennedy, Tutte, Haworth (Jones 67), Donnelly (Grimes 62), Gornell.
Rochdale substitutes: Rafferty, Grimes, Collis, Rose, Logan, Jones.
Attendance: 1,807 (202).
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