Mark Shelton’s early second-half strike was cancelled out by an 89th-minute spot-kick as Crawley Town held Barnet to a draw at the Broadfield Stadium.
Dean Brennan made one change to the side that fell short to Newport on Saturday, with Mark Shelton replacing Anthony Hartigan in the midfield.
The Bees launched there first attack inside a couple of minutes of kick-off with Mark Shelton having the ball in plenty of space and threading it through to the feet of Idris Kanu, but a red shirt was there to stop the number 11 in his tracks.
The hosts had the ball up the other end of the pitch and looked to take the lead early on when Jay Williams struck inside the area, with the ball ricocheting off the left post and Shelton putting his body on the line to deny the rebound.
The Bees began to settle into proceedings at the Broadfield Stadium, with Ryan Glover playing the ball into the area from out on the left and kabongo Tshmimanga sliding to try and poke it home, but he couldn’t connect with it and it took a deflection before heading out for a corner.
Glover took aim from the edge of the area shortly after, but it wasn’t the cleanest of connections and took a heavy touch as it was deflected out for yet another Barnet corner.
Crawley fancied their chances moments later when Klaidi Lolos struck from the centre of the box, but a purple and white shirt got in the way.
Dean Brennan’s side continued to dominate in the final third and this time, Adam Senior latched onto a Shelton corner, but he guided it wide of the target.
As the half progressed, Glover played a long ball over to Kabongo Tshimanga from defence, with our number 20 working it well and winning a corner for the Bees. Glover’s first-time effort from Shelton’s delivery fired wide.
Our January window addition up top was the next to let loose on goal, this time with Crawley shot-stopper Jacob Chapman being forced to push ithe powerful shot away from the danger area.
The Bees came agonisingly close again as half-time loomed, but Danny Collinge couldn’t send his effort from close-range goalwards after connecting with a Shelton set-piece.
Half-time: Crawley Town 0-0 Barnet FC
Some superb work from Glover following the restart near the corner flag out on the left-hand side. The number 15 fizzed the ball into the area, but Callum Stead couldn’t control it.
Kanu sent a diagonal ball into the back post to find Tshimanga, who couldn’t quite meet it and a Crawley shirt got a touch to send it out for a corner.
The deadlock was broken ten minutes into the second 45 and it was the Bees who took the lead. Glover played an excellent ball which was headed on by Senior, before falling into the feet of Shelton who stretched to guide the ball into the back of the net.
The hosts looked to respond from a free-kick just outside the box, but Lolo’s effort was saved comfortably by Cieran Slicker.
Our first change of the night saw Anthony Hartigan enter the action, with Tshimanga making way.
Kellan Gordon whipped a dangerous ball Into the Bees’ box as the hosts continued to look for an equaliser, but Senior booted the ball out of play.
The Bees came close to scoring a second when Chapman came out of his area, leaving an empty net, but Callum Stead could only kick the ball at the outside of the post.
A double change was made with less than ten minute of the 90 to go, with Rhys Browne and Britt Assombalonga introduced and Glover and Kanu being sacrificed.
With five minutes of normal time remaining, the Bees had a golden opportunity to double their lead late on. Hartigan sent a corner into the back post and Romoney Crichlow’s touch sent it out for a goal-kick instead of the ball being able to roll into the back of the net and the linesman flag was also raised for an offside in the box.
Crawley had a chance to score a late equaliser when the referee pointed to the spot after Browne was seen to foul Kellan Gordon in the area. Danilo Orsi stepped up for the Red Devils and although Slicker dived in the right direction, the forward slotted it into the right-hand side.
Slicker was called into action to deny a late shot for the hosts in seven minutes of added time, when Ronan Darcy drilled an effort on goal, but our number 29 comfortably got his hands to it to deny a late winner for Scott Lindsey’s side and the points were shared in West Sussex.
Full-time: Crawley Town 1-1 Barnet FC
Line-up: Slicker, Collinge, Senior, Stead, Kanu (Browne, 81), Glover (Assombalonga, 81’), Shelton, Tshimanga (Hartigan, 76’), Crichlow, Tavares, Ofoborh
Goals: Shelton (56’)