WIND WINS THE DAY AS BOTH SIDES FIRE BLANKS
BARNET 0 HARTLEPOOL UNITED 0
IN blustery conditions both sets of players tried their very best despite the elements, that saw goal-kicks struggling to make the half-way line, conspiring against them.
The Hartlepool manager Craig Hignett, said: “Yes, It was really difficult conditions for both sides, the wind was a real factor in the game. But I thought both teams coped with it really well and tried to play some football.”
In the second-half Pools’ Nicke Kabamba had an effort ruled out for off-side and the Barnet substitute Simeon Akinola had a late penalty claim waived aside by referee Carl Brook as the home side put the visitors under pressure.
The Bees had the better chances and after the match the Barnet boss Darren Currie rued: “Our performance again was more than acceptable, but we do need to be more ruthless in the final third.
“We do a lot of work on attacking play, but at the minute some of our crosses are hitting the first man, or our crosses and shots are getting blocked.
“It is frustrating because there are many good passages of good play that get us into the final third and then it is just that decision-making, where you need that little bit of magic, which we just didn’t have today.”
Dan Sweeney for the Bees had a good header well saved by the Pools keeper Scott Loach after 15 minutes with the visitors responding when defender Fraser Kerr hit a shot from 35 yards that Mark Cousins acrobatically pushed wide to concede a corner Hignett beamed: “To come down here and get a point is pleasing, but the most pleasing thing is how the lads all dug in and scrapped and had a bit of pride. “We had spoken about the goals we have conceded, showed them some videos last night and told them that we can’t keep conceding goals and expect to win games. “I was pleased with the clean sheet; we had to defend our box, get our head in, stop them turning, they asked us a lot of questions, but we had the answers. “In the second-half we played a lot better with the ball and looked dangerous when we counter attacked.” Hartlepool should have conceded, however, when with the hour mark approaching Wesley Fonguck headed the ball across the goal where Shaq Coulthirst, who had hit the upright in the first half, failed to adjust his body shape and stubbed his effort wide of the target. Currie summed up the lapse speaking to The NLP when he said: “We missed an open goal at the end of the day and that is a glaring opportunity that we need to take to win the game.”
STAR MAN: Dave Tarpey (Barnet) ATT: 1,269 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Carl Brook 9/10