It was the Bees who had the best openings of the first ten minutes at Plainmoor, with Michael Petrasso involved with both, as first his cutback just whistled past Tomi Adeloye who was on the stretch. The two combined again with Adeloye scrambling a ball to Petrasso who saw an effort from six yards out crucially deflected behind.
But for all their pressure, the Bees fell behind on 13 minutes as Jake Andrews connected with a low cross to power into the corner leaving Adam Parkes with no chance.
We went close immediately after conceding as Themis Kefalas had a header cleared from the line after he connected with Petrasso’s dangerous delivery from a corner. Harry Taylor was then bundled to the ground just inside the area but the referee waved away the appeals.
Yet again the Bees were punished and found themselves two behind as one long ball found its way through to Connor Lemonheigh-Evans who rounded the ‘keeper before tapping home despite the best efforts of defender Ben Nugent.
The Bees didn’t give up and should have pulled one back on 30 minutes after Kefalas met another corner but planted his header just wide of the far post.
After relentless pressure, the Bees worked a way back into the game seven minutes before halftime, as Harry Taylor was fouled in the area before Petrasso stepped up and powered his penalty home to bring the deficit back to one.
The Bees continued to hassle the Gulls who looked extremely unsettled throughout the half but Simon Bassey’s men couldn’t carve any clear openings before the break. In fact it was Parkes who made the biggest save on that period as he made a terrific flying stop to deny a header destined for the top corner.
Kefalas wasn’t to be denied again and we were level just nine minutes after the restart as Sam Skeffington’s free-kick was brilliantly met by the big defensive midfielder and floated into the far corner.
The Bees so nearly took the lead on the hour mark, as Petrasso struck a sweet strike from the edge of the box, only for the Gulls’ ‘keeper to pull off a tremendous stop.
Up the other end Andrews curled a free-kick inches wide of the goal, as the Gulls looked to retake the lead in front of a boisterous home crowd.
The Bees had a big chance on 66 minutes as Mason-Clark drove through the Torquay defence before slipping Taylor only for his low shot to be well held by the Gulls’ goalkeeper. Meanwhile, Max Watters went close up the other end as he bent a curling effort just wide of the top corner.
The hosts had a massive chance just after the 70th-minute mark, as Lemonheigh-Evans ghosted in at the back post but could only put his diving header inches wide of the post. Meanwhile, Will Randall also found space but diverted his volley into the stand behind the goal.
Gary Johnson’s men tried to pile on the pressure but found the Bees in stern mood and to a man they defended for their lives, the badge and headed away several balls that were swung into the box.
Josh Walker and Mason-Clark both had efforts on the Gulls’ goal as we tried to take a memorable three points but in the end the Bees took a commendable point with them back to North London.
Barnet: Parkes (GK), Vaughan, Richards-Everton, Nugent, Beard, Mason-Clark (McBurnie 81′), Taylor, Kefalas, Skeffington, Petrasso (Walker 75′), Adeloye.
ATT: 1561 (HOME ONLY)
