| After a poor first half, a 0-0 final scoreline always looked to be on the cards, as there had been few chances for either side. The second half was a much more open and exciting half, and Dale came close to snatching it on a number of occasions. But in the end, neither keeper was tested, and so it ended goalless.
It was never going to be a game of free flowing football given the surface. In fact, we were very fortunate to have a game played at all, with the game requiring three pitch inspections before finally being given the go ahead. Despite the best efforts of the ground staff, it still remained a very damp pitch. It looked fine from a distance, but it was very heavy going in places, and it couldn't have been easy for the players.
Dale went into the game with just the one change from the team that pinched a last minute win at Exeter seven days previous. That was the enforced change of Dave Bayliss, who was sitting out a one match suspension, and he was replaced by Keith Hill, who despite reports of an injury, came in for his first match since Carlisle. Parkin opted to keep Christian Lee in the team as partner for Clive Platt, with Tony Ellis having to make do with a spot on the bench. Tony Cottee decided to take in his first match from the sidelines, leaving himself off the team sheet.
The first half was fairly non descript, with few, if any, chances for either side. In fact, there was just the one chance where a ball came crossed over from the right hand side, and was touched on by Clive Platt to Paul Ware who fired over the bar from inside the Barnet box. And that was about it!
It had been a fairly even first half, but Dale looked to grow in strength as the half went on. The second half saw more of this, and Dale had the bulk of the possession and chances in the second half.
It didn't take long for Dale to start threatening the Barnet goal, and soon after the restart, Dale were awarded a corner. Up came Mark Monington, and it was to no one's surprise that he got on the end of it, and beat the keeper. However, he couldn't beat the woodwork and it rebounded off the post.
Clive Platt had perhaps Dale's best chance of the half, when Barnet keeper Naisbett miskicked a clearance, sending it straight to Platt. Platt couldn't quite turn in time to curl the ball in, and he was soon closed down as he tried to win space for himself.
Lee Todd came close to snatching it after Dale were awarded a free kick just outside the box. However, his left footed shot was taken quite comfortably by Barnet keeper Naisbett, as Todd attempted to curl it into the corner of the nets.
It certainly wasn't one way traffic, and Barnet had a good spell with about twenty minutes to go. They didn't really threaten apart from a couple of corners. Winger Darren Currie tried to win himself a penalty, but the referee wasn't convinced at all. The fact that Currie took about two minutes to fall over didn't do him any favours.
Tony Ellis was introduced for the closing stages of the game, and he helped spark things up a bit for Dale. He added that bit of something that Dale had been previously missing up front. He held the ball up well, as he always does, and certainly helped Dale enjoy a bit more possession in the Barnet half of the field.
Dale actually managed to get the ball into the Barnet net, when Mark Monington drilled home the ball from around twelve yards out, but play had already been called to a halt by the referee, with a flag up for offside.
As the game approached its goalless conclusion, Michael Oliver had a good chance to snatch a late winner, following a scrambkle in the Barnet box, but he never really got behind the ball, and his shot went wide and high.
All in all, this must be looked at as two points dropped. Dale had the chances to win the game, and never really looked like conceding a goal. The clean sheet was a plus point, as was the crowd of 3,657 who turned up on a cold and miserable afternoon. Again, people will look at the lack of goals, and another home match without a win, as many did on the way out at the end of the game. Dale remain in third position after this point in a very comfortable position. Things could be a lot, lot worse!
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