STILL’S BEES BUZZ AGAIN IN PERFECT AWAY DAY

BARNET produced what assistant manager Darren Currie described as a “perfect away performance” as they won comfortably against an anaemic Barrow.

The Bees season has gone in peaks and troughs so far and they appear to be on the rise again, after first-half goals from Manny Duku and Wesley Fonguck guided them to their third win on the trot in all competitions.

In contrast, Barrow have now lost their last three games and appeared desperately short of confidence during the second half, suggesting their FA Cup defeat at Chorley is having a lingering impact.

Currie said: “It’s a perfect away performance, with a clean sheet as well, plus I think it’s a huge plus to have Dave Tarpey back on the pitch.

“I thought they played alright, Barrow, they moved the ball around quite well, with confidence, they make the pitch big and one thing we spoke about before the game was about their strength becoming their weakness.

“Because they’re so expansive, if we were patient and disciplined in our defensive shape then we knew we’d get opportunities on the counter attack and it was very evident in our first goal.”

Barrow had an early chance to lift the mood at Holker Street, but Dan Jones put his attempt from John Rooney’s free-kick just close enough to Barnet goalkeeper Mark Cousins. Jones was then at fault for the visitors’ opening goal, as his slip on the edge of his own area allowed Josh Walker to square the ball for Duku, who comfortably opened his Barnet account. The Bluebirds caused their own problems again when Barnet doubled their lead, with Charlee Adams catching Rooney in possession before putting Founguck in acres of space and the midfielder’s finish was a superb one. John Still’s side were threatening on the break in the second half, with David Tutonda putting Fonguck in again, but this time he slid his shot just wide. AFC goalkeeper Andy Firth then had to shovel Elliott Johnson’s low effort behind, with Jack Barthram’s header from Rhys Norrington-Davies’ cross the closest the hosts came to making a fight of it. Barrow boss Ian Evatt said: “We’ve got to realise that once a goal goes in, it doesn’t mean you have to change or worry because there was still 70 minutes of a football match left. “If you’re relentless in what you do and keep believing in what you’re doing, then eventually you’ll get chances because we’ve got some good players. “But we lost belief, we lost confidence and we can’t do that.”