Martin Allen says Barnet have learnt their lessons after throwing away a three-goal lead to draw against Kidderminster Harriers and believes performances since have proved it.

The Bees blew a 3-0 half-time lead to draw 3-3 with Harriers the weekend before last, but have recorded consecutive wins without conceding and Allen feels his side have learned from the setback against Kiddy.

Against Braintree on Tuesday evening two first-half strikes from Luisma Villa, either side of Sean Marks’ red card for the visitors, were capped off by Luke Gambin’s second half goal after stepping off the bench.

Reflecting on the Bees’ second win in four days, Allen said: “I thought the players managed the game by keeping the ball and moving the ball and perhaps we could have had more goals.

“But to keep a clean sheet and not have any real pressure on us, I suppose it probably boring to watch, but a couple of weeks ago [against Kidderminster] I thought it was game over and it wasn’t. Here tonight you can see we have learnt a few lessons in the way we played,” he explained.

The sending off of Braintree’s Marks just before the half-hour mark had little bearing on the game in the end, with the Bees in control, and Allen was pleased with his side’s reaction to facing ten men.

“It was a very good team performance. I thought we managed the game tactically very well,” stated the Bees head coach. “After going ahead and with the opposition going down to ten men; we have all experienced it as players, supporters and as managers, it is very difficult to play against ten men because they step it up that bit extra.”

Luisma’s brace means the Spaniard now has four in his last three and seven in just eight starts – three more than he managed in the whole of last season.

“I am delighted with him and he has got a goal ratio now which has been absolutely fantastic, “Allen said of the playmaker. “So to have goals in the team from him and Cooky (Lee Cook) and on Saturday up at Gateshead from Curtis Weston, we have got goals right throughout this team.”

Turning his attention to Gambin, who was brought on as a substitute before being withdrawn after eight minutes at Gateshead, Allen said: “Gambin, I wanted to get him on tonight. I was not happy on Saturday when he got booked for kicking the ball away, and that is why I took him off; we don’t like that here: arguing with the referee and kicking the ball away to get yellow cards, so that is why I took him off.

“I really wanted to give him a little bit back tonight and God bless, when he went on, I thought he was superb.”