Martin Allen has accepted that his side weren’t at there best during this afternoon’s 0-0 draw with Carlisle United.

However the Barnet manager was also pleased to get another point on the board, following a disciplined display at The Hive.

Speaking after the match, Martin said:

“It was alright. 

“We had some good chances in the first half.

“There were about four chances in the first half that we should have scored.

“I thought that the foul on Shaun Batt was a definite penalty, without a shadow of a doubt.

“It didn’t get given, which was a shame.

“In the second half I thought it was a bit of a struggle for us to get up the pitch.

“However Michael Gash has had a hamstring injury and has hardly trained.

“He did me a favour by playing today.

“Shaun Batt was going to be a substitute, but John Akinde’s hamstring was tight before the game.

“So we threw him in – I was expecting 60 or 70 minutes out of him.

“But, God bless, he ran himself into the ground.

“He got tired when he ran through for that one chance in the second half that I thought he was going to finish off.

“It was difficult to get our team up the pitch, to play higher up.

“It was difficult with our forward players because they’re not quite at full fitness – it’s got to be said.

“So the ball kept coming back and there was a little bit of relentless pressure.

“Of course there are bits to work on and bits to improve.

“But what I would say is that there have been numerous times in the past when you play those games and lose 1-0 off a sneaky counter attack.

“I don’t think that they actually had an effort at our goal in the second half.

“They had some pressure but they didn’t actually break our lines.

“We defended resolutely and with discipline.

“It’s another clean sheet, and it’s another point on the board.

“We weren’t on top form, we were half a yard short.

“That’s unlike last week when we were on top form.

“But the point is valuable.”