Head coach Martin Allen has stressed the importance of not changing what Barnet are doing or getting carried away as the season nears its climax.

The Bees claimed their first win over Woking since 2002 this afternoon, winning 2-1 at The Hive to maintain their seven-point lead at the Conference summit.

John Akinde put Barnet ahead from the penalty spot before Joey Jones beat his own goalkeeper to double the advantage. Substitute Yemi Odubade pulled one back for the Cards, who rallied in the final ten minutes without forcing an equaliser.

Speaking afterwards, Allen was at pains to underline the importance of not getting carried away with just 13 Conference fixtures remaining between now and the final round of fixtures on April 25.

He said: “I am very pleased with the players and I am very pleased with the supporters. It is not rocket science, we have just got to keep doing our job and we can’t be looking at what everyone else is doing – everyone else is looking at what we are doing.

“When you are in this position you do just have to concentrate on what you are doing and having good habits, good standards around the training pitch, in the dressing room, being professional, looking after each other and just doing the job.

“You can’t get carried away thinking you have got to do something different or carried away thinking you are really good. We have to keep our feet on the ground and keep doing what we have been doing.”

The Bees had been in total control during the second half, with Woking’s numerical disadvantage restricting their attacking threat. However once Odubade halved the deficit it was all hands to the pump for Barnet, who introduced defender David Stephens in place of winger Lee Cook and switched to five at the back.

It has become the norm for Allen to play with an extra defender when trying to see out a win and the tact has drawn criticism from some quarters – no more so than the 3-3 draw with Kidderminster Harriers which saw the Bees blow a three-goal lead.

Addressing the decision to play with an extra defender, Allen proffered: “In the last 15 minutes of any game the ball is going to be pumped into the box. It has happened when we have played against 11 men and it happened today when we played against ten men.

“Dave Stephens put a fantastic header in, cleared the ball 30 yards out of our box and that is why you put him on. They do it in the Premier League and they do it in the Ryman Premier League. When you watch it you think, ‘that is negative’, but when Stephens heads that ball out you think, ‘thanks Dave, well done’.”

He added: “Like away at Telford, away at Woking and away at Bristol Rovers (when Barnet conceded late) and then you think to yourself, ‘we need to do something about that, just in case’. I would rather put an extra body in there and Dave is the perfect person to go and do that.”

You can read the match report from Barnet’s win over the Cards by clicking here.