Alex Nicholls’ sublime second half strike was enough to earn a deserved share of the points for Barnet, as they drew 1-1 with Cambridge United at The Abbey. 

The U’s took a 60th minute lead when former Accrington Stanley winger Pietro Mingoia slotted home a Blair Adams cross from the left. 

But the Bees found a way back into the match when Nicholls powered an unstoppable effort into the top corner with 15 minutes left on the clock.

Cambridge began the game strongly and had the better chances of an uneventful first half. 

Mingoia flashed a low shot wide of the left post in the sixth minute, before Bira Dembele placed a tame header straight into the arms of U’s keeper Will Norris. 

Harrison Dunk then took advantage of a loose ball in the Barnet box – firing a shot over the bar in the 17th minute. 

Barnet’s Curtis Weston hit a speculative effort wide of the right post midway through the half, but it was the U’s who had a good opportunity to take the lead just before the half hour mark. 

James Dunne slipped the ball into striker Joe Pigott, but his shot from a tight angle went high and wide of Josh Vickers’ goal. 

A free kick from captain Luke Berry fizzed just over the bar two minutes later, as the U’s continued to push for the opening goal of the game. 

The second half was a different story though, as Barnet steadily grew into the match. 

Left back Elliott Johnson had the Bees’ first clear chance when his 51st minute shot was cleared off the line by Tom Dallison. 

But the visitors were hit on the counter attack, just as they were starting to take control of the game. 

Cambridge broke away following a Barnet corner – the ever-dangerous Mingoia finishing Adams’ pinpoint cross neatly with an hour played 

Martin Allen responded by bring on new signings Alex Nicholls and Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro. 

The Frenchman had a chance to equalise when his shot was blocked on the goal line, following Ryan Watson’s corner in the 72 minute. 

However it wasn’t long before Barnet levelled things up.

Akpa Akpro burst forward with the ball three minutes later – slipping a pass into Nicholls, whose powerful effort rifled into the back of the net.

The Bees were now in the ascendancy and even had two chances to win the game in the final minutes.  

Again Akpa Akpro was again at the thick of the action, when his injury time effort flew straight at Norris in the Cambridge goal. 

Akinde then played in Nicholls for the last chance of the match, but his drilled shot ended up just wide of the left post. 

The Bees will have been pleased to earn a point on the road though, after going a goal down to the U’s.

There are certainly plenty of positives to take into Barnet’s EFL Cup clash with Millwall at The Hive on Tuesday night.