A training ground free-kick routine saved a point for Crewe Alexandra this afternoon. Ashley Westwood, who had previously gone close with two well struck free-kicks from the edge of the penalty area was the instigator playing the ball on the floor into Joel Grant and his touch set the recalled Clayton Donaldson through on goal. He slotted his shot past Jake Cole for his second goal of the game.
With top scorer Calvin Zola still ruled out through injury, Dario Gradi did make one change to his attack with Donaldson replacing Byron Moore.
Shaun Miller made his intentions known early on by chasing down full-back Joe Devera in the opening few minutes and that should have set tempo for the first half, but Crewe never really got going in the first 45 minutes.
Barnet lost the experienced midfielder David Livermore before ten minutes had elapsed. He was replaced by Nicky Deverdics.
A slow opening to the game sprung into action after just 13 minutes when Miller combined superbly with Donaldson to set the striker through on the Barnet goal. Donaldson showed great pace to take him past Gary Breen and the covering Devera and he kept his composure well to slot it past the helpless Barnet captain Jake Cole for the opener.
With the comfort of an early goal, Crewe should have gone on to take control of the possession and utilise the pace of our two strikers, who enjoy playing on the shoulder of the central defenders.
It all became a little scrappy from a Crewe perspective though and the away side had two sniffs of Steve Phillips' goal with substitute Deverdics volleying wide of the mark and the lively John O'Flynn heading into the arms of the Crewe keeper. Moments later, Micah Hyde dragged a shot just wide as Barnet began to look a threat in attack.
Crewe continued to surrender the ball away far too cheaply and invite pressure onto our back four. Therefore it was great surprise that Barnet equalised on 23 minutes. The Crewe defence hesitated after thinking the ball had gone out of play for a throw, and that gave O'Flynn enough time and space to punish us. Barnet moved it swiftly off of the line and O'Flynn hit an unstoppable shot past Phillips. The Alex keeper got a hand to it but it clipped the underside of the bar to draw the Bees level.
No one was taking responsibility for Crewe and we were finding it difficult to hit our front two and make inroads into the Barnet half. Barnet looked the more likely and so it proved on 29 minutes when Matt Lockwood drilled a shot past Westwood and into the net after we had failed to clear the ball from our box. Crewe were making it difficult for themselves by being caught in possession or failing to hit our targets with our passing.
Crewe tried to bounce back but Simon Walton couldn't get his shot on target after some good work from Joel Grant close to the by-line. Miller also sent a shot over the bar on the turn after a Westwood corner had reached him at the far post.
John O'Flynn was a constant threat and he shot just wide as Barnet looked to stretch their advantage before the break with the Irish striker shooting just wide.
It wasn't a great performance in the first half and things could only improve in the second. Westwood, who began to drift inside more often, began to get involved more and certainly lifted the crowd when an early shot hit the post. Donaldson found him with a fine pass and Westwood was really unfortunate to see his shot hit the foot of the post and rebound back off of Cole.
Westwood was driving Crewe forward and another of his passes nearly picked out Miller. Just before the hour mark, Westwood had another free-kick pushed away by Cole. He looked our best bet for an equaliser.
At the other end, Nicky Deverdics had a shot blocked by O'Donnell. On 66 minutes, Dario decided to change the personnel with Walton coming off for Moore. This allowed Westwood to move into the middle of the park alongside Bailey.
An improved Crewe continued to press forward and Miller was rather unlucky to see a deflected effort tipped over the bar by Cole. His shot looked to be looping in and it was a fine save by the Barnet number one.
Another Westwood free kick was a couple of yards wide before he changed his approach on 81 minutes. From the edge of the box, he cleverly deceived the Barnet back line by playing a short ball into Grant and his lay-off to Donaldson created a superbly worked equaliser. Donaldson slotted home his second goal of the afternoon and his 8th of the campaign.
With the time counting down it really was anyone's game still and Crewe had to be careful not to slip up and lose it. Some good approach play from O'Flynn found the impressive winger Albert Adomah and his low shot was well saved by the fingertips of the diving Phillips.
Miller was then unlucky to be penalised when through on goal after Breen had stumbled over in the penalty area. The former Coventry and Eire defender got the benefit of the doubt on that one.
With four minutes remaining, Murphy replaced Grant but in truth Barnet arguably had the best two chances of the final minutes. O'Flynn sliced a good chance wide and again Adomah forced Phillips into a save.
In stoppage time, the influential Westwood shot over from distance but in the end a draw was probably a fair result.
