Barnet head coach Martin Allen felt even at 2-0 down his side could get something from their trip to Macclesfield Town on Tuesday night, but said there was no ranting or raving following defeat.

The Bees lost their unbeaten away record after just a third defeat of the season, with the unbeaten-at-home Silkmen extending their own impressive record at Moss Rose.

Goalless at half time, the game sprung into life five minutes after the break when left-back Scott Barrow thumped in his first goal for the club from fully 35 yards. A second followed in the 65th minute when Chris Holroyd headed home from Waide Fairhurst’s free kick.

The visitors did pull one back when John Akinde nodded in his eighth of the season from Sam Togwell’s corner, but despite Barnet’s best efforts they could not force an equaliser against the Cheshire outfit.

Reflecting on a first away defeat of the season, Allen admitted he felt his side could salvage something from the game following the second goal.

He said: “Even at 2-0 down I still thought that we would get something out of the game. These players, they give everything every day in training and they give everything every game that we play, home or away. They give everything that they have got and we can’t ask any more of the players than what they gave tonight.

“I thought we had numerous chances, their goalkeeper made some good saves but it wasn’t to be today. We’ve done our best, but it just wasn’t good enough on the night. I thought overall we looked pretty solid; we looked very disciplined so I thought that it was a very good performance but we just need a little bit more than that perhaps.”

Graham Stack in the Barnet goal was not unduly tested throughout the contest – a fact Allen was keen to highlight in his post-match assessment.

He opined: “We actually played quite well, believe it or not. I don’t think they had a shot before the lad has put one in the top corner.

“We were comfortable and the goalkeeper (Graham Stack) had not had anything to do when we were playing away from home against a team that had not lost here. There were not any alarming moments. Stacky made one good save – that was the only other opportunity that they had had in the game.

Added Allen: “You have got to say the 30-yarder in the top corner was an outstanding goal, and then to score from the set play – we probably had three or four players up the pitch then trying to get the equaliser with fifteen minutes or so to go.

“The kid is never going to hit a shot like that the rest of his life.”

Despite succumbing to their first defeat away from The Hive this term, Allen refused to lose his temper with the players, instead turning the focus to Saturday’s visit from Kidderminster Harriers.

“There’s no shouting, ranting or raving,” said Allen. “It’s a case of getting our heads down and let’s get ready now for the next one and that is what we will all do.

“I thanked them all for their efforts and told them to get straight outside and warm down. It’s the first game that we have lost away from home so I haven’t had to say this very often but I said well done, get the warm down done, get the food and the drinks, get sleeping on the way home and get ready now to prepare for Saturday.”