Dover 2 Barnet 2

Natonwide Conference

Barnet dropped two valuable points at lowly Dover on Saturday as both teams above them won again to leave Barnet nine points off the pace.

It had started well for the Bees but substitute Frazer Toms' superb 44th-minute strike was all third-placed Barnet had to show for their first-half dominance.

But the Bees surrendered the initiative in a shaky spell just as they did at Forest Green in their previous away game, and went 2-1 behind.

Though a helping hand with an own-goal put the visitors level, it needed a brave save by keeper Lee Harrison to prevent Dover snatching victory.

In the end a draw was a fair end to an entertaining, keenly-contested match between two sides who both needed three points, but for contrasting reasons.

Barnet's first miss came after six minutes when Mark Gower headed the ball across the goalmouth to Mark Arber, who shot against the top of the bar from six yards.

After Dover's Ben White forced a fine diving save from Harrison, Gower had a good opportunity to open the scoring after Wayne Purser's shot was blocked by the keeper, but failed to hit the target with a close-range header from the rebound.

Another chance went begging when Purser raced on to a through pass from Rob Sawyers, but shot into the side netting.

Then Toms, who had replaced injured Lee Flynn, after 28 minutes, ended Barnet's profligacy in great style when he collected Leon Bell's pass, surged forward and, from the left-hand edge of the penalty area, hit a low left-foot shot into the far corner of the net.

Bell rescued the Bees with a goalline clearance to prevent Keith Scott, Dover's 13-goal top scorer, heading an equaliser on the stroke of half time.

Purser missed a chance from Gower's corner, before Dover got on terms in the 66th minute when Jimmy Strouts raced on to Scott's flick and fired high into the net.

Six minutes later, Dover's Jake Lebel was left all alone at the far post and met a corner from Steve Norman with a powerful header high into the net to put Dover ahead.

Barnet grabbed an 80th-minute equaliser when Gower's cross from the right hit Norman on the chest and found the back of the net.

Chris Allen looked set to snatch a shock win for Dover when he burst clear, but Harrison made a timely advance and blocked his effort.

BARNET: Harrison, Gledhill, Heald, Arber, Flynn (Toms 28), Gower, Niven, Bell, Sawyers (Doolan 75), Strevens, Purser. Subs not used: Naisbitt, Berkley, Pluck. Attendance: 1,004. Man of the match: Toms.

December 18, 2001 18:00

JOHN POLLARD