National League Barnet are just 12 places below County in the pyramid, but four successive defeats had derailed their promotion bid in recent weeks.
They looked full of confidence, however, as they took the game to their hosts on a bitterly cold south Wales afternoon.
The Exiles thought they’d done enough to earn a place in the third round for the first time since 2021 as Shane McLoughlin put them 1-0 up in the 44th minute.
Bryn Morris hit the post with a free-kick before that goal and Omar Bogle was denied a second goal late on, but Barnet dominated possession all afternoon.
Bees’ top scorer Nicke Kabamba saw one effort cleared off the line by Ryan Delaney and was also denied by goalkeeper Nick Townsend before Collinge headed in from close range to snatch a late draw.
This story is from the December 03, 2023 edition of The Non-League Football Paper.
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This story is from the December 03, 2023 edition of The Non-League Football Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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