Allen has his Bees up for a big finale
MARTIN Allen insists there will be no nerves in his battling Barnet camp after they kept alive their slim survival hopes with victory over an out-of-sorts Newport County.
Shaquile Coulthirst fired in from close range from Richard Brindley’s cross on ten minutes and Ricardo Santos headed home from a corner late on to earn the Bees a third successive home win since Martin Allen returned as manager last month.
The vital victory leaves Barnet four points from safety with just two games remaining – at 22nd-placed Morecambe next weekend and at home to basement boys Chesterfield on the final day.
Allen’s men need to win both games and hope other results go their way but the former Premier League striker is pleased they have given themselves a shot.
“We played really well,” he said. “It was certainly the best performance we’ve had since I started and we kept going for the full 90 minutes against what is a decent Newport side.
“It’s only a few weeks ago that they were challenging for the play-offs so the players did a really good job.”
It could have been much more comfortable for the hosts, who forced Newport goalkeeper Joe Day into a number of fine saves. Day denied Coulthirst, Brindley, John Akinde and Curtis Weston and Barnet also had two efforts cleared off the line.
“There weren’t any nerves,” added Allen. “The players aren’t allowed to be nervous. Everyone knew we had to win and we just had to get out there and do the job.
“We have got to enjoy these times. We don’t know where we’re going to end up but we’re going to fight to the very end and do very best we can.”
Newport boss Mike Flynn certainly did not enjoy his trip to North London and he pulled no punches in his post-match assessment.
Matty Dolan headed against the bar from a corner shortly after Coulthirst’s opener but the visitors did not register a shot on target all afternoon.
“That was without doubt the worst performance since I’ve been here,” said Flynn.
“I can’t stomach that performance. We prepared as usual and nobody would have seen that performance coming.
“It’s the fans I feel sorry for, those that travelled here, because that performance was something that I will not put up with.
“We can all have bad games but the most disappointing thing for me was that we didn’t have any fight. That’s what I can’t handle.”