The starting line-up was unchanged; with the only difference was on the bench where Clovis Kamdjo won a place on at the expense of Olly Lee.
The playing surface was in remarkable condition considering the heavy rain of late and the referee did not make one pre-match pitch inspection. The playing surface did cut up to some extent but it did not influence the flow of the game.
Steve Tully, the Exeter right-back was an influential figure in the first-half making surging runs and putting good balls into the box. The quick feet in midfield of Alan Gow were also causing the Bees some cause for concern.
Graham Stack made one early save with his feet and although Exeter were exerting some pressure they rarely looked like scoring and Barnet with John Oster able to spread the play looked just as capable as being able to break the deadlock.
However in the ten-minute period before half-time Exeter got themselves two goals ahead and things did look gloomy for the Bees.
The ball was unnecessarily given away in midfield and from the resulting corner Danny Coles was given a free header to give the Grecians a lead.
From an almost carbon-copy like situation on 45 minutes Cole won a header that Scott Bennett stabbed home from close range.
This was going to be as good as it would get for the Grecians as the Bees started the second-half in a very positive mood with a good Ricky Holmes’ cross from the left as a sign of what was to come.
Gradually the Bees upped the tempo and were pushing men increasingly forward, with Barry Fuller and Elliot Johnson pushing forward at every opportunity.
It was a blow for the Bees when Edgar Davids left the field midway in the second half with a suspected dislocated shoulder. The view at the time was that it was possible there and then to put the “shoulder back in” but the extent of the injury will only be discovered following further analysis in the build-up to the Aldershot match on Tuesday.
Jon Nurse replaced Davids and within ten minutes the substitute had reduced the deficit.
Oster played an astute pass in to path of the ex-Dagger and his finish was a crisp one and went into the back of the net via the far post.
With 90 minutes on the clock it looked as if all the effort would be in vain, but when it was indicated that there would be 7 minutes of play to be added on, an equaliser was back on the agenda.
Barnet were now operating with a five-man attack with Andy Iro being pushed forward. From a Barnet corner which the Grecians defence did not deal with the centre-back turned the back goalwards for a deserved equaliser and the players and the supporters literally whooped for joy.
This definitely had the feel of a point won; in contrast Exeter left the field to jeers and for them they were ruing the fact that they were not adding three points to their tally.
The Bees are at home to Aldershot Town on Tuesday, New Years’ Day with the game kicking-off at 3 o’clock.
