Barnet 0 Scarborough 0

Last Updated : 03-Apr-2004 by

Barnet's hopes of a place in the play-offs received another blow as they drew 0-0 with Scarborough.

The home side started well and could have taken the lead in only the second minute, when Giuliano Grazioli was unlucky not to get on the end of Ismail Yakabu's pass.

Four minutes later Ian Hendon and Mark Williams combined well on the right wing but Yakabu was unable to convert Williams' cross at the far post.

In the 11th minute it was the visitor's that went close. The shave-headed Wayne Gill broke free but saw his shot saved by the legs of goalkeeper Shane Gore. The ball fell kindly for Mark Quayle but the former Nuneaton Borough striker put his shot wide.

Williams nearly scored with a spectacular overhead kick in the 25th minute but his effort went straight into the palms of Leigh Walker.

Barnet's dominance sparked a reaction from the Seadogs and in the 36th minute they had two good chances to snatch the lead.

First Quayle was denied by Gore before Clint Marcelle was also thwarted by the keeper.

In the final minutes of the first half Barnet finished with much of the same vigour in which they started.

Joe Gamble's free-kick was floated in but Mark Hotte did enough to prevent Hendon from getting a clean strike on the ball, which eventually sailed over the bar.

Scarborough started the second half determined to dent the Bees' hopes of promotion and they nearly took the lead after the restart.

Kevin Nicholson's free-kick was floated in prompting a scramble at the far post, but Gill failed to convert the chance after Gore made the initial save.

Gill then had another chance moments later when Hendon slipped and let in Quayle who in turn released Gill, but he failed to hit the target.

For all their hard work Barnet failed to carve out an opening and in the end relied on long shots from Ben Strevens and Simon Clist.

In the dying minutes Scarborough nearly rubbed salt into Barnet's wounds when Glen Downey's header looked goalbound, but Gore again came to the Bees' rescue with a timely save.

Scarborough boss Russell Slade felt that his side could have snatched all three points.

He said: "I am slightly disappointed we didn't take all the points. I think we looked like a side that should have been in the top ten, rather than in the bottom ten.

"Despite this we are still hoping for a mid-table finish."