Martin Allen has confirmed he will be unable to offer Conor Clifford a contract currently as he targets a goalkeeper instead, but has refused to close the door on the Irish midfielder.

Clifford, 23, played the first half of Tuesday night’s 3-2 win at St Albans City after training with the Bees during the week.

However, Allen and Clifford conversed in the centre circle at Clarence Park at length after the match before the Bees head coach spoke to the press.

Asked if the popular midfielder – who was freed by parent club Southend United following his successful loan spell at The Hive last season – would be offered a contract, Allen said: “At the moment there is not anything for Conor.

“My main priority is to find a number two goalkeeper. I am looking for someone to backup Graham Stack. So until I have got that done no final decisions will be made.

“I have urged Conor to keep his self-belief,” he continued. “I have had to sign another central midfield player (Tom Champion) because going up a division you have got to be careful, you have got to be cautious and you have got to be stronger. I need to learn from the mistakes I made at Gillingham.

“I have got other players – Luke Gambin, Mauro Vilhete – coming through so at the moment I can’t take Conor.”

Allen has stated his desire to work with a small squad, preferably of 19 senior players, since last season and that has undoubtedly played into his thinking.

“I don’t want to have a big squad,” he stated. “At the moment we are at 17. My arrangement with the chairman is that I have to prioritise. I ask him and explain to him and then he asks: ‘What is the next one you want in?’ And at the moment, the next one I want in is another goalkeeper.”

Trialist Chris Haigh, who was initially let go after featuring for 45 minutes of Barnet’s opening pre-season friendly against Hungerford Town, played the second half of the game at St Albans whilst Kai McKenzie-Lyle was between the sticks in the first.

The search for a goalkeeper continues though, but Allen says he is working within a tight remit to find a suitable candidate.

He explained: “Myself, Graham Stack and Whit (Adrian Whitbread) have all been working hard on it. I need another goalkeeper. You have to pay them wages, I do not really want to pay them any relocation and I do not want to pay any hotel bills.

“So I need to find one around London for loan or someone who has not got a job to come and be a number two at Barnet. I do not know how much it is going to cost and until the chairman has financed that off, we do not know how much we have got available to pay any other players, i.e. Conor Clifford.”

Veteran defender Michael Nelson was rested for the trip to the National League South outfit but speaking on Saturday, Allen confirmed he was keen to tie up the former Norwich City and Hibernian centre-back to a contract.

“I would like to [sign him] but there are other players out there and it is coming to the time now where players are desperate for clubs if they have not got one,” said Allen.

“He has trained with us every day and paid his own expenses and for his own hotel, so I think that tells you something about him. I think you would have to say today he put a in a really good performance for us.”

Asked for an update on Tuesday he said: “[He is] still in discussions with his agent and the chairman.

“Michael Nelson lives in Newcastle so there is a chance he might be signing for Newcastle but I am hoping he might choose us over Newcastle,” joked Allen.

Nelson made 33 starts in League for Cambridge United last season – where he played with another summer signing Tom Champion – after joining from Scottish Premier League outfit Hibernian in August.

The 6ft 2in defender has previously turned out for Norwich, CityScunthorpe United, Bradford City, Hartlepool United and Bury in the Football League. and has made more than 500 league appearances in a career which has spanned 15 years since he started out in the north east with Bishop Auckland.

He has also played north of the border for Kilmarnock.