An injury-ravaged Fulham side battled to a creditable point at Barnet this afternoon as this ill-tempered local derby finished goalless.
Fulham were without the services of Robbie Herrera, Micky Adams, Kevin Moore, Duncan Jupp and Alan Cork through injury. Ian Branfoot drafted Ara Bedrossian into midfield for a rare start whilst Tonny Finnigan, who had only been at the club 24 hours, was asked to face one of his former employers at right back. John Marshall demonstrated his versatility by starting at left back but he was carried off within ten minutes.
The visitors struggled to get to grips with Barnet’s precise passing in the first period, with former Fulham midfielders Peter Scott and Mark Newson to the fore. The dangerous Dougie Freedman had a couple of sights of goal with one powerful shot snaffled by Jim Stannard after a mistake by Mark Blake. Stannard also made a sharp save from a Freedman free-kick – that had been contentiously awarded by referee Paul Vanes – in the final minute of the first half.
Barnet kept up the pressure after the resumption and hit the bar five minutes into the second period, when Carl Hoddle’s looping cross almost caught out the backpedalling Stannard. Simon Morgan did brilliantly as a makeshift centre half and Barnet’s pressure eventually rather petered out, especially after Freedman had a goal disallowed for a blatant push on the Fulham captain.
The visitors grew in confidence the longer the game remained scoreless and might well have snatched all three points in the closing stages. Brazil conjured up an opening for Martin Thomas, who might have done better than flash a shot wide, before almost opening the scoring himself with a deft header. Stannard made a superb save with ten minutes remaining, stretching to claw away a clever chip from Shaun Gale, but Fulham made light of their injury crisis to hold firm for a richly deserved share of the spoils.
BARNET: Wilson; McDonald, Gale, Primus, Hodges, Hoddle, Philips, Newson, Scott, Carmichael (Tomlinson 69), Freedman. Subs (not used): Newell, Alexander.
FULHAM: Stannard; Finnigan, Marshall (Angus 11), Mison, Blake, Morgan, Bedrossian (Haworth 79), Hurlock, Stallard, Brazil, M. Thomas. Sub (not used): Harrison.
REFEREE: Paul Vanes (West Midlands)
ATTENDANCE: 3,579.
