Lawrie Sanchez’s side were sitting just three points above the relegation places before the game, after a run of just one win in their previous 10 games, a spell which has seen the Bees slide from the comfort of mid-table to the fringes of the relegation zone.
Before the game, Barnet captain Mark Hughes said he was expecting a difficult match, against a Macclesfield side who recently parted company with former manager Gary Simpson.
Hughes told the club's website prior to the game: “It’s going to be a battle, it’s not really a surprise because we are all fighting for our lives down at the bottom and the team that wins tonight will be the one that shows the greatest endeavour and determination.”
As it was, it was almost inevitable that a 0-0 stalemate followed, as Macclesfield extended their run without a win in League Two to 15 games. They now sit just one point clear of the bottom two having played a game more.
Barnet had scored a late equaliser earlier in the week to earn a draw with an improving Dagenham & Redbridge side at Underhill and Hughes believes that the Bees can take plenty of positives from that game.
“We can take something out of the game, we came back twice and we didn’t let any setbacks get us down. These are the things that you can build on.”
Two points from games against sides in relegation trouble isn't a fantastic haul, but Barnet will be happier than Macclesfield to be able to add another point to their season's tally.
Five of Barnet’s last nine games this campaign are against teams in the top six, with home matches against leaders and Johnstones Paint Trophy finalists Swindon Town, Torquay and Crawley, as well as trips to Southend United and Cheltenham.
This put firm emphasis on Friday night’s encounter and, after securing a point that takes them four points clear of the relegation places, the Bees hope they can push on and rekindle the form that they enjoyed at the start of the year, when they picked up four wins from their first five league games of 2012.
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