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Currie hails his ‘brilliant’ keeper
BARNET goalkeeper Scott Loach almost single-handedly won his side a point against Wrexham at the Racecourse yesterday – two magnificent second-half saves earning rave reviews from both managers afterwards.
A goal apiece in the opening ten minutes of the contest might have presaged an end-to-end contest, but it was the Bees who found themselves with their backs to the wall for much of the second period.
Hailing Loach’s outstanding display, Barnet boss Darren Currie said: “A point was probably a fair result, but on the balance of play in the second half they had a couple of chances and when ‘Loachie’ was called into action he was unbelievable.
“We are so lucky to have him in our team and he was brilliant again today.
“In the first half we moved the ball well, but in the second half we didn’t take the sting out of the game.”
The home side could not have hoped for a better start as they stormed into a third-minute lead courtesy of some fine individual skill from JJ Hooper, who controlled a throw-in and in one movement turned and lifted the ball over Loach.
But the advantage lasted only six minutes before the Dragons’ defence was caught napping and Dan Sparkes raced clear on the left to drive a fine shot beyond Christian Dibble and into the bottom corner.
The baking temperature was anything but conducive to a high-tempo contest and further chances proved hard to come by until the closing stages of the first period when Loach did well to beat away a fierce effort from Luke Young with Dibble matching his Bees counterpart at the other end as he denied Jack Taylor.
With the second half under way Wrexham found a different gear, Luke Summerfield firing a difficult chance too high before Loach pulled off two magnificent saves from Mark Harris and Shaun Pearson.
But the heat took its toll, and although the Dragons had a late, late chance to win it when James Jennings steered a header just wide, the visitors had done enough in a hard-working rearguard action to justify Currie’s assertion that they deserved a share of the spoils.
Wrexham manager Bryan Hughes could not conceal his disappointment that his side had surrendered their 100% home record, saying: “It was an opportunity missed because Barnet frustrated us.
“Over the course of the game we got on top but it’s two points dropped. In the second half Barnet had settled for a point and although we tried to go at them their keeper has made a fantastic save from Shaun (Pearson) and other opportunities also went begging at times.”