WYCOMBE Wanderers banked another point as they bid to make the play-offs for the second season running – and with four sides being covered by just two points in the race for the final play off spot, it could turn into an important one.

Boss Gareth Ainsworth was hoping to put one over Barnet coach Gary Waddock – the man who first brought him to Adams Park as player – but he wasn't able to as it finished honours even with Paul Hayes’ 58th minute opener being cancelled out by Andy Yiadom’s 72nd minute leveller.

Waddock is now part of the coaching staff at Barnet under Martin Allen and even though the Bees have nothing left to play for you would not have guessed it from the way Allen and Waddock’s charges competed for every ball and made life uncomfortable for anyone of a blue persuasion.

Wanderers were down to the bare bones with seven out injured but there was again no disputing their willingness to roll their sleeves up and put in a double shift.

Michael Harriman served notice of their intent firing wide after just 90 seconds.  And they might have taken the lead in the tenth minute. Max Kretzschmar touched a short free kick to Sido Jombati and the stand-in left back picked out Aaron Pierre with his cross but the big defender could not direct his header on target.

But after that bright start, they struggled to make in-roads in a game full of effort but short of creative quality. Their long balls forward did not stick and that enabled Barnet to gain some possession and grow in confidence and, fortunately for Wycombe, Sam Muggleton failed to make the most of a threatening break when he dragged his shot wide.

Neither side were able to retain possession for long in the face of some stiff tackling and when Pierre lost the ball in the Barnet half, Wycombe hearts were in their mouths as Michael Gash sent John Akinde away but the former Wycombe loanee saw his shot deflected for a corner.

From the resultant flag kick, Akinde was again the dangerman, but his header lacked power allowing Ryan Allsop an easy save.

It was indicative of a first half which was never going to win any beauty contests as the ball spent plenty of time in the air.

Barnet were a threat from their incredible long throws and their corners and they appealed in vain for a penalty when Michael Nelson’s header hit Jason McCarthy. Barnet were first to meet the corner that came in, with Bira Dembele heading over.

He thumped the turf in frustration again minutes later as he rose highest again to head another corner wide.

Wycombe's attacks were tending to fall down before they reached the opposition 18-yard box and, with the likes of Luke O’Nien, Matt Bloomfield and Joe Jacobson missing, they didn’t have anybody who was prepared to try their luck from distance.

As such, it was Barnet who drew the first meaningful save of the game out of either keeper on 37 minutes when Gash saw his header tipped around the post from a dangerous Yiadom free kick.

Wycombe rallied in the dying embers of the first half and they might have taken the lead when Hayes touched a short free kick to Kretzschmar whose shot brought a sprawling low save out of Graham Stack.

But the hosts had a real let-off at the start of the second half when Akinde  nicked the ball off Jombati on the byline and pulled back to Yiadom who should have done better than fire over the top.

Akinde then beat Pierre before smashing in a shot that Allsop did well to paw back into play.

Having come so close to going behind, Wanderers went down the other end and took a 58th minute lead as Hayes reacted first to provide the finish at the second attempt when Harriman’s header came back off the bar.

That ended the skipper's barren run in front of goal and it meant Barnet had to come out and play and that gave Wanderers more space to attack. Kretzschmar was the first to exploit it, making good yards before feeding Garry Thompson whose shot flashed across the goal before ending up just wide.

Barnet made the most of their reprieve.  Elliott Johnson scampered down the left and pulled a low cross along the six yard box where Yiadom smashed in the equaliser.

Wycombe reacted by introducing substitute Jerrell Sellars for Kretzschmar as they went in search of a winner.

But it was defender Pierre who might have won it but, from a corner, he could only direct his header into the arms of a grateful Stack.

Wanderers twisted again bringing on Gozie Ugwu for Thompson but they could not force a winner and might even have lost it on the break near the end but Shaun Batt could not make the most of the opportunity after he had been set up by Luke Gambin after a Jombati slip.