Barnet 0 Darlington 0

10:29pm Tuesday 1st April 2008

JUST as the floodlights faded at Barnet last night, so it appears are Darlington's hopes of automatic promotion.

Quakers dominated much of the game, delayed by floodlight failure, and had their chances but lacked a cutting edge and were forced to settle for a goalless draw.

The result means the play-offs appear ever more likely.

The point gained means Quakers are back in the top three, but are level on points with Hereford United who have two games in hand, as do fifth-placed Stockport County.

Darlington still have both of those sides to play, travelling to Stockport on Saturday, so promotion to League One remains possible.

But they have now won only once in their last seven games.

For a short while there was concern that last night's match at Underhill would not go ahead at all.

The lights went out just as referee Paul Armstrong was about to start the game and after seven minutes of an impromptu warm-up in dim light the players retreated to the dressing rooms.

It was then announced there would be a delay of 30 minutes before kick-off.

After finally getting under way at 8.15pm it was Darlington who wasted little time in getting into their stride with Jason Kennedy seeing a shot blocked inside two minutes following Rob Purdie's corner.

Barnet's defence was tested early on with Alan White inches away from connecting with a header following Craig Nelthorpe's inswinging free-kick, and then Tommy Wright also went close.

The forward missed Saturday's defeat to Bradford with a hip injury, but was a surprise inclusion last night, pressed into action perhaps sooner than he would have liked due to Darlington's striker crisis.

But in one of two changes, the other being Neil Austin for the injured Ryan Valentine, he partnered Julian Joachim and after ten minutes hit the side-netting from a narrow angle after Joachim's shot was deflected.

Kicking down the infamous slope, it had been a bright start for the visitors, but Barnet responded and a quick burst from the pacey Albert Adomah through the middle almost resulted in the opening goal.

He dribbled unchallenged through the middle of the pitch before powerfully firing narrowly wide.

Darlington keeper David Stockdale then had two saves to make in a minute, first comfortably dealing with a deflected Adam Birchall effort and the cleaning catching Kieron St. Aimie's high 20-yard shot.

Both sides created their share of half scoring chances in an entertaining first-half. A free-kick from Darlington's Clark Keltie trickled wide, as did a Purdie shot, before St. Aimie saw a spectacular overhead kick fly just wide of the post.

After the break Stockdale easily dealt with Josh Wright's curling free-kick from 30 yards and soon after the keeper managed the same again from Sagi Burton in what had been a tame beginning to the second period.

Darlington eventually found some rhythm with Joachim causing problems for the hosts. With his non-stop running he had been a constant menace and his tenacity saw him tee up Keltie. However, the midfiedler's effort curled high and wide.

Joachim also played in Wright, but keeper Lee Harrison collected the ball ahead of the striker.

With a similar pass Keltie found White but the defender, up field for a free-kick, saw his shot from a tight angle hit the side-netting.

Aside from the two routine saves from free-kicks, Stockdale had had relatively little involvement and with a win essential to keep automatic promotion hopes alive, manager Dave Penney made a tactical change with Micky Cummins coming on in a 4-3-3 formation.

Soon after Cummins was denied a clear chance due to Burton's block, and then Cummins and Wright got in each other's way as Joachim floated in a cross from the right.

Both sides had scoring opportunities in the dying seconds.

Darlington midfielder Jason Kennedy almost made himself a hero with a low shot that rolled inches wide of the post, and then Adomah headed just wide from a corner in injury time.