Barnet winger Lee Cook felt the speed of Grimsby Town’s response to falling behind on Saturday was what put paid to the Bees’ chances of three points at Blundell Park.

Martin Allen’s side made the ideal start in Cleethorpes, taking a sixth-minute lead after John Akinde won and slotted home a penalty for his 24th of the season.

However the hosts refused to roll over for the league leaders and levelled when on-loan Mansfield Town striker Ollie Palmer crashed an instinctive first-time effort into the top corner of Graham Stack’s goal.

And the turnaround was complete inside a quarter of an hour as Lenell John-Lewis went down under pressure from David Stephens and thrashed home the resulting spot kick.

Winger Jack Mackreth made the points safe in the second half as Barnet slipped to consecutive defeats in the Conference for the first time this season.

Assessing the defeat, former Fulham and Queens Park Rangers winger Cook opined: “We have gone in at half time 2-1 down having probably been the better side for the first half – although we were not at our best.

“The third goal is what has killed us really. After that we have had to go a little bit more direct and gung-ho because we are 3-1 down with half an hour to play. We had to try something different. I think the first half has killed us because if we had gone in level at half time, maybe we would have won the game.”

The 32-year-old continued: “It was obviously a disappointing result for us. It is a tough game here; a tough place to come. I thought we started the game quite well today. We got the penalty, which was a well-deserved penalty because he definitely tripped him, and then they got two lucky goals in my eyes.

“The first one is a ricochet that has fallen to him (Ollie Palmer). It is a great finish to be far but it should never have landed there. We should have cleared the ball; we should have dealt with it. And then their penalty was a really soft one.”

Barnet played a more direct style of football than they have become known for this season and struggled to get a foothold in the game as they lost possession. But Cook felt the approach was justified.

He explained: “When you have got big John (Akinde) up there, you have got to play to his strengths. For the first goal, that is how we like to use him: by sliding it down the side and letting him get round the back of the defence.

“I think in the second half we went a little bit more direct to try and nick a goal. We brought Gashy (Michael Gash) on for Charlie (MacDonald) and had the two big ones up top but it did not quite work today.”

And Cook praised the decision to sign former Kidderminster Harriers and Cambridge United striker Gash in the week.

“If John (Akinde) was to get injured then we have not really got that type of targetman, so I think it is a shrewd signing for us,” mused Cook.

“He has come in until the end of the season and we will see how he does. Obviously John and Charlie (MacDonald) are first choice and so it is up to him to push them out. If John does get injured then at least we have got another targetman to step in there if needs be.”

Read Martin Allen’s reaction to defeat against the Mariners by clicking here.