U's pegged back in the second half
Substitute Connor Dymond smashed in a second half leveller to earn Barnet a point in an entertaining 1-1 draw with Cambridge United at the R Costings Abbey Stadium.
The U’s had taken the lead through a Josh Gillies penalty in the first half, and had chances to increase their lead before Crystal Palace youngster Dymond found the net to earn his side a share of the spoils.
Boss Richard Money made five changes, with Gillies, Josh Coulson, Richard Tait, Delano Sam-Yorke and Luke Chadwick all coming into the side at the expense of Kevin Roberts, Tom Bonner, Luke Berry, Andy Pugh, and Ryan Bird, who has returned to parent club Portsmouth.
The first period saw Barnet, now under the stewardship of Martin Allen, have the majority of the possession, displaying the same brand of patient, passing football they employed when we faced the Bees earlier in the season. The visitors also showed they weren’t afraid to have a go from distance, with Keanu Marsh-Brown, Curtis Weston and Jake Hyde all trying their luck from distance but failing to test Benjamin Siegrist. Jon Nurse went close early on with a good turn and shot from the left side of the box that whistled across goal and wide.
At the other end, Sam-Yorke was proving to be a handful for the Barnet defenders, literally in the case of Mark Byrne, who yanked him back by the shirt in the 25th minute for a clear penalty. Gillies took responsibility for the spot kick, and smashed it into the roof of the net despite Jupp getting a hand to the ball. Earlier, Jupp had made a good save to stop his own defender Dave Stephens scoring an own goal.
Both teams were forced into early substitutions, with Byrne and Gillies departing injured, to be replaced by Dymond and Andy Pugh respectively. Barnet were pushing for an equaliser as the half drew to a close, but Chadwick could have made it two when he was put in on goal by Pugh down the U’s left, but Jupp was out quickly to block his lofted effort.
After the break, Chadwick saw another effort blocked by a strong hand from Jupp, while Liam Hughes went for goal from distance but saw the Barnet stopper parry his shot away to safety.
And they were made to pay for those missed chances when Barnet fed the ball in from the right, and though the U’s defence blocked three efforts from Bees’ men, the ball ran to Dymond who gave Benjamin Siegrist no chance with a rising drive that found the top corner.
Neither goalkeeper was extended in the closing stages, and the match ended all square. Next up for the U’s is a trip to Macclesfield on Tuesday.
May I Claim Man of the Match: Liam Hughes.
Cambridge United: Siegrist, Tait, Taylor, Coulson, Miller, Chadwick, Gillies (Pugh 40), Champion, Hughes (Barnes-Homer 85), Donaldson, Sam-Yorke. Subs not used: Norris, Roberts, Arnold.
Barnet: Jupp, Yiadom, Vilhete (Muggleton 60) , Stephens, Gjokaj, Byrne (Dymond 36), Marsh-Brown, Harper, Weston, Hyde, Nurse (Crawford 60). Subs not used: Saville, Abdulla.
Referee: Adam Bromley
Attendance: 3,385 (away 606)