The Bees were made to settle for a point in a goalless draw away from home against bottom-of-the-table Newport County on Boxing Day.
Two changes were made to the side that lost at home to Salford City on Saturday. Joe kizzi started in defence, with Lee Ndlovu returning to the starting XI, with Callum Stead and Ben Winterburn taking their places on the bench.
Dennis Adeniran returned to the squad for the first time since the Bees beat Accrington Stanley at the Hive early October.
The Bees were looking for their first win since beating Bristol Rovers earlier this month, with the Exiles looking to climb off the bottom of the table and add to their tally of 13 points.
A quiet opening five minutes played out in South Wales, with no goal-mouth action for either side in the early stages.
The hosts should’ve opened the scoring when the clock struck ten minutes. Cieran Slicker came off his line to stop the run of Michael Spellman, allowing the Exiles’ winger to find a teammate who could shoot into an empty, but there were enough purple and white shirts in the way to deny the hosts the opportunity to have the early advantage.
The Bees were let off again eight minutes later, with Christian Fuchs’ side having plenty of time with the ball in the box, but the final shot was into the feet of Slicker.
Idris Kanu did well to work the ball into the area for the Bees as the half progressed, but before he could make a decision as to where he wanted to play the pass, it was nicked from him by an amber and black shirt.
A shot on target came for our number 11 shortly after, folllowing a delivery into the box from Nik Tavares, but the midfielder’s header was comfortable for the hands of Jordan Wright.
Newport County’s Tom Davies fancied his chances from distance, sending a left-footed shot towards goal, but it was wide of the left post.
As the half-an-hour mark hit, Ciaran Brennan almost intercepted a pass from Ryan Glover to Slicker, but our number 29 was able to get to the ball first.
Following some good footwork out on the right between Glover and Shelton, the latter laid the ball into the path of Danny Collinge outside the box, but our captain’s effort from long range headed over the bar.
A ball from Kanu was then flicked on by an Exiles’ defender and fell to the feet of Britt Assombalonga, but Wright was there for the hosts before our number 27 could have a go at goal.
With five minutes to go in first-half, Lee Ndlovu tried to acrobatically connect with a Glover delivery, but the ball didn’t fall to our number nine kindly for the overhead attempt.
Half-time: Newport County 0-0 Barnet FC
The first shot of the second-half for Barnet came ten minutes into the restart, but Kanu’s long-range shot couldn’t stay on target.
A couple of minutes later, Nnamdi Ofoborh struck a low effort goalwards from inside the area, but with little power on it, Wright parried out for the Bees’ corner of the tie.
Just before the hour mark, Newport County charged forward and Cameron Antwi had the final touch to direct it goalward, but Slicker gathered comfortably.
Dean Brennan made a double change on the 63rd minute. Kanu and Assombalonga made way for Dennis Adeniran and Callum Stead.
When play resumed following the switch, Glover sent a long throw into the area and it was met by Ndlovu, but his acrobatic effort landed on top of the Newport net.
Ten minutes after the first switch of the afternoon, Oli Hawkins came onto the Rodney Parade pitch to replace our number nine.
With 15 minutes to go, Stead found himself in a good position to shoot, but his effort was agonisingly wide of the right post.
As the clock ticked and the deadlock was yet to be broken, Adam Senior looped the ball into the box, but Hawkins’ header was out for a goal-kick.
With seconds to go, there was a scramble in the hosts’ box following an Adeniran free-kick and it looked like a purple and white shirt could poke it home for a winner, but referee Stephen Parkinson blew the full-time whistle and both sides settled for a point in South Wales.
Full-time: Newport County 0-0 Barnet FC
Line-up: Slicker, Collinge, Senior, Ndlovu (Hawkins, 73’), Kanu (Adeniran, 63’), Glover, Shelton, Tavares, Assombalonga (Stead, 63’), Ofoborh, Kizzi