Barnet 1 Plymouth Argyle 1

Nationwide League Division Three

Darren Currie's superb strike from 25 yards gave Barnet a deserved point in an entertaining game at Underhill on Saturday.

In the 61st minute Currie, receiving from Mark Gower wide on the right, fired a forceful shot that flew inside the far post leaving keeper Roman Larrieu helpless.

It ended 16th-placed Barnet's lean spell of three successive defeats, all away. Plymouth, lying 12th, are also poor travellers. Without a win outside Devon for 16 months they haven't won at Underhill since September 1995.

Player-manager Tony Cottee said: "We didn't play too well in the first half, but were much better in the second half when we created a couple of half chances. It was a great strike by Currie.

"Three points would have been welcome, but at least we stopped the rot after three successive defeats."

Bees defender Sam Stockley was unwell, and Lee Gledhill deputised.

The Pilgrims, cheered on by nearly 1,200 fans, including well-known politician Michael Foot, were clearly intent on remedying the situation and got off to a storming start.

Paul McGregor, who scored a hat-trick for the Pilgrims in their 4-1 home win over Barnet in November 1999, was denied a seventh-minute goal by keeper Lee Harrison, who dived to keep out his powerful shot.

But there was no escape for the Bees six minutes later. Greg Heald fouled David Friio, who took the free-kick, tapping the ball aside for Paul Wotton to fire wide of the defensive wall and into the net.

Skilful play by Mark Gower almost produced an equaliser for Barnet. After beating two opponents, Gower pulled the ball back for Ben Strevens to fire a powerful shot that was blocked by David Worrell. Injured in the process, Worrell was stretchered off and taken to hospital.

Almost immediately, Jean Philippe Javary had a good chance to stretch Plymouth's lead following clever work by McGregor, but shot weakly.

In-form Currie provided a taste of what was to follow, forcing a fine save from keeper Larrieu.

Substitute Tony Richards replaced Cottee for Barnet at the start of the second half. "I wasn't playing well, and felt we might do better if I came off and somebody else had a go," said honest Cottee.

Following Currie's equaliser, fortunes ebbed and flowed, with Heald going close for Barnet when his header was blocked by Javary.

BARNET: Harrison; Gledhill, Heald, Arber, Goodhind; Currie, Hower, Niven, Brown; Cottee (Richards, 45). Subs not used: Naisbitt, Toms, Bell, Purser. Attendance: 2,879. Man of the match: Currie.