A draw that took us out of the relegation zone, the first clean sheet of the year, keeping the top goal scorer in the league quiet for the entire game and a point taken against one the in-form teams in League Two. Yet despite all these positives, most of the Home Park contingent left the ground disappointed after a goalless, but quite entertaining, draw.
It is hard to look at this as good result really, Barnet are another of the teams fighting relegation and so should be one the teams that we are looking to beat. I could come up with positives about the point all day long, but the long and short of it is that if we don’t win games against teams around us, then surely they will start to break away from us. Yes, we are out of the relegation zone on goal difference as it stands, but we could have been two points clear, and Northampton and Dagenham’s game in hand is against each other, which if played today would see us back in the relegation zone whatever the result.
Anyway, on to the game and Carl Fletcher made two changes to the team that lined up against Southend ten days before. Alex MacDonald partnered Nick Chadwick up front, and Simon Walton made way for Conor Hourihane in the centre of the park. These changes looked to have been made after what happened against Southend, as these two players were instrumental after they came off the bench. Barnet also made two changes, as new loan signings Sead Hajrovic and Jordan Obita started in place of Michael Hector and Mark Bryne.
When Luke Young was hauled down on the very edge of the area, Conor Hourihane had the first real chance of the game as he stepped up to take the free kick. His shot was curling nicely into the left hand corner, but Barnet keeper Dean Brill saved at the second attempt after temporarily dropping the ball.
At the other end Barnet debutant Obita sent his free kick past Jake Cole’s goal before Clovis Kamdjo’s nearly shocked everybody in Home Park. His drive from the edge of the area looked to be going well wide from where I was sat behind the goal, but the ball bended wickedly and hit the outside of the post before bouncing out. We were allowing Barnet way too much space, and they were looking more likely to score.
And then came the chance of the match.
The Barnet defence nearly shot themselves in the foot on the stroke of half time when a routine back pass from just outside the area was far too weak with MacDonald upon them. He raced free on the keeper, took a touch and Home Park got ready to celebrate. Somehow, with the whole goal gaping the loanee missed completely. He beat the Barnet keeper easy enough, but also beat the post and from the look on his face afterwards, it was clear how he felt about the effort.
As has been the trend in games lately, Argyle come out flying in the second half and Darren Purse’s glancing header hit the Barnet crossbar early on. Argyle continued to pile forward and allowed Barnet very little of the ball, good crosses were pumped into the box but nobody was able to get the goal winning final touch on them.
And then followed Barnet’s best attempt of the game. Obita stood over a free kick 30 yards out, and lined up to hit as if he was Cristiano Ronaldo. The power he got behind the shot was incredible and I’m surprised that the Barn Park goalposts did not snap as the ball slammed against the crossbar and bounced free.
The game then started to peter out as Argyle defended five (yes, five!) Barnet corners in a row. Alex MacDonald was unlucky to have his late effort cleared off the line as it proved to be one of those days for Argyle, I think we could have played for another 90 and still not scored.
For the first time in a while, I trudged away from Home Park disappointed. Our game there against Dagenham & Redbridge on the 25th is now looking like a season defining one.
By Plymouth blogger Sam Barker . You can read his personal blog here.
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