WESTLEY BUZZES ABOUT HIS BEES
JAMES Wilson scored with his first touch in a Lincoln shirt as Graham Westley’s first game in charge of Barnet ended all-square.
The home side led through John Akinde’s early first-half strike but were left clinging on in the second half, having dominated the opening exchanges.
A head from former Sheffield United man Wilson, 90 seconds into his debut as a half-time substitute, grabbed a point for the Imps, who fell out of the play-off places to eighth after a third game without a win.
The draw ended a run of five straight defeats for Barnet but they remain rooted to the bottom of the EFL, now six points from safety.
But Westley, appointed just five days prior to the game, was impressed by the way his side adapted to his style of play.
“Often, as a new manager, you play your first 90 minutes and think ‘this doesn’t look like one of my teams’ but they did look like one of my teams,” said the new Bees boss.
“The discipline they showed to both attack and defend was exceptional.
“The work-rate and professionalism in everything they did was superb.
“It would’ve been unfair if we won it based on the second half as they were in the ascendancy and hit the bar but the players certainly deserve the point that they won.”
Lincoln boss Danny Cowley was left frustrated by his side’s sluggish start to the game. Cowley said: “We were well short of the standards we expect of ourselves first half.
“We were too one-dimensional in our play.
“We kept just trying to do the same things time and time again, and expecting different results.
“If we really want to be one of the top teams in this division, we’ve got to be a little better in terms of our technical execution, and in terms of assessing the situation and using other options.”
Akinde fired Barnet ahead on 12 minutes, set free by Ryan Watson’s long ball down the left before cutting inside and curling into the far corner.
Watson almost doubled the hosts’ lead four minutes later, flashing a shot narrowly over the bar from range.
Barnet were punished for not adding a second two minutes after the break, substitute Wilson left unmarked 12 yards out to power home a header from Sam Habergham’s corner.
Fellow half-time replacement Harry Anderson combined with Matt Green to fashion a chance on the edge of the area but saw his low strike palmed away by Barnet’s Craig Ross.
A goalmouth scramble then saw the ball fall at Danny Rowe’s feet but the Ipswich loanee struck the bar with Ross beaten.
The game’s final chance went to Bees substitute Justin Amaluzor, who shot straight at keeper Paul Farman after Akinde set him free on the counter.