PLYMOUTH Argyle secured another point in their battle against the drop in a forgettable goalless stalemate against in-form Barnet at Home Park in League Two last night.

Good football and clear chances were at a premium in a tight, scrappy contest.

Barnet shaded the first half and hit the Argyle woodwork twice by the end of the 90 minutes before the Pilgrims enjoyed the better of the second period.

The Greens' clearest sights of goal arrived after Barnet mistakes, summing up the lack of attacking quality in the final third of the pitch.

Player-manager Carl Fletcher made two changes to the Argyle team who had drawn 2-2 with high-fliers Southend United at home in their last outing on February 4.

In the centre of midfield out went Simon Walton for Conor Hourihane, while up front Juvhel Tsoumou was left out to make room for Alex MacDonald, who had scored Argyle's late equaliser which earned them the morale-boosting point against Paul Sturrock's side.

Walton and Tsoumou both made the substitutes' bench, which in a final change also included midfielder Luke Daley, who was not in Fletcher's squad for the Southend game and meant Joe Lennox did not make the bench.

After a scrappy opening, right-midfielder Luke Young burst through for Argyle on nine minutes, capitalising upon Barnet sloppiness. But in a promising position, cutting in from the wing on the edge of the visitors' 18-yard box, Young was upended by centre-back Darren Dennehy, who earned a yellow card for his troubles.

Conor Hourihane took the resulting free-kick from 20 yards, but tamely curled it low into keeper Dean Brill, diving to his right for a comfortable save.

On 13 minutes, Barnet midfielder Jordan Obita took a free-kick from a similar position, but again could not deliver and curled his effort into Jake Cole's right side netting.

Three minutes later there was the first real scare for the Pilgrims.

Barnet centre midfielder Clovis Kamdjo burst through from the left of the Argyle box and struck his effort from 15 yards low to Cole's left and it smacked the inside of the post before bouncing out to left-back Onismor Bhasera, who gratefully hacked clear as the Pilgrims wobbled.

Minutes later, with the visitors starting to get on top and exert real pressure, a great cross from the Barnet right was well headed clear from underneath his own bar by a backtracking Young from the right-back position.

On 22 minutes, Young had a half-chance for Argyle from the edge of the Barnet 18-yard box, again capitalising well on some Bees hesistancy, but he curled a low, 20-yard effort wide of Brill's left hand post.

Sixty seconds later home striker Nick Chadwick had the Pilgrims' clearest sight of goal so far after a long ball floated over the top of the centre of the Barnet back-four from right-back Paul Bignot.

Chadwick needed one good, first touch and then he would've had a one-on-one with Brill, but from the penalty spot and all alone, Chadwick failed to control the ball and it ran harmlessly away from danger.

Barnet were still enjoying the best of it, but it remained an opening half an hour to forget for both teams, who were yet to really get the ball down and play, and get a grip of proceedings.

Argyle came more into it marginally in the final 15 minutes of the first period, but both teams continued to struggle to control a bouncing ball on a hard surface and a cold, Valentine's Day night.

The lack of quality was most evident in the final third when either side tried to create clear-cut chances, which were at a real premium.

Two minutes before the break, Barnet centre midfielder and skipper Mark Hughes found himself with time and space 25 yards out in a good, central position.

Hughes carried the ball five yards forward, but, summing up the contest to that point, scuffed a left-footed shot along the ground wide of Cole's left-hand post.

Then in the final minute of the first half, MacDonald had the best chance of the half.

Barnet hit a suicidal back-pass straight to MacDonald, all alone on the Barnet penalty spot. Brill did well to come out and close him down to a degree, but MacDonald, first time, panicked and pinged the glorious chance wide right.

The on-loan Burnley striker put his hands on his heads. He knew what a big moment it could've been in a tight contest.

Argyle at least enjoyed all the territory in the opening five minutes of the second half and won a corner on 52 minutes.

Paul Wotton took it from the left and curled it in well to the near post to centre back Darren Purse, who dangerously flicked his header on, which narrowly looped onto the roof of the Barnet net.

Argyle continued to push Barnet back and brought the Green Army into the game, and a goal seemed more likely. The visitors couldn't get hold of it or get out of their own half.

In one of the rare moments of real quality, on 61 minutes Barnet's Obita took a direct free-kick from all of 30 yards and a central position.

He took a long run up and it looked ambitious, but he caught it sweetly and the ball flew at Cole's goal and smacked the right hand corner of his crossbar and to safety. Cole wouldn't have got there had it been lower.

The game then settled back down and became bogged down in midfield, with again neither side able to really get a grip of the game.

Good football and clear chances remained frustratingly at a premium for an exasperated crowd crying out for some class.

On 73 minutes Young again cut in and looked dangerous before being upended cynically. MacDonald picked up the loose ball and was suddenly clean through on goal, albeit with a lot to do from 25 yards.

But referee Brendan Malone blew his whistle for the foul and pulled play back, to Argyle's and the Green Army's frustration.

Wotton took the resulting free-kick, but curled it over the bar from a long way out.

On 77 and 78 minutes Barnet enjoyed a string of corner kicks, which were well delivered and well defended by once Hourihane and later Purse with headers out for another corner.

Barnet were back on top now and the home crowd grew uneasy again.

On 86 minutes Argyle worked the ball down the left well and put the ball over. Nick Chadwick tried to get on the end of the cross, which was well defended, but the ball broke to MacDonald, pushed out to the right wing in a tactical switch, who had a clean sight of goal from a tight angle from 15 yards.

MacDonald hit it sweetly and aimed for the bottom, left hand corner, beating a stationary Brill, but two Barnet defenders read MacDonald's mind and blocked his effort well on the line.

In injury-time Chadwick had shouts for a penalty waved away after he went over under pressure from the Barnet defence.