If Saturday's 2-0 win over Eastleigh was a snooze-fest then Barnet's Development Team found the antidote at Northwood in the final pre-season friendly of the summer, going down 4-3 in an end-to-end clash at Chestnut Avenue.

A hat-trick from Matt Stevens was not enough for the young Bees and although three instinctive finishes against a team of Southern League part-timers won't tempt any other teams to joined the reported queue for the 17-year-old's services, they did underline his supreme knack of being in the right place at the right time.

Goalkeeper Chris Haigh and winger Samuel were the only two starters not part of Ross Eames' Development Team but neither will be back. Haigh has done little wrong throughout pre-season but was informed afterwards his services would not be required this season.

Rather more peculiar was Brazilian wideman Samuel, who was hooked at the break at the behest of the watching Martin Allen.

The boss - and assistant Adrian Whitbread - arrived in time to see Stevens' second goal pull the Bees level, something the teenage Swansea City target will no doubt be pleased to learn.

Apart from ending Samuel's brief Barnet career, Allen's only other input was to advise title-winning Under-18s captain Harry Taylor to push on from full-back to the back post as the Bees sought a late equaliser late on.

Samuel had started well enough, laying on the assist for Stevens' early opener, the striker stealing in to prod past Woods goalkeeper David Moran after 17 minutes.

But the home side responded quickly and scored twice in as many minutes to go in front via Louis Stead and Rob Hastings.

Those goals came shortly after the irrepressible Fumnaya Shomotun had beaten a handful of defenders and shot, only to see his effort cleared off the line by a Northwood defender.

But Stevens wasted little time in replying for the visitors, tucking into the empty net at the second attempt after latching onto Shomotun's pass only to see his effort blocked first time.

Steve Brown planted a back-post header wide for Northwood before the sides went in level at half-time.

And after the restart it was the turn of Stevens to shoot straight at Moran when one-on-one, the striker played in by Wes Fonguck but left to wait on his treble.

Northwood re-took the lead after six second-half minutes as John Munday stabbed home from close-range after the Bees twice failed to deal with a corner kick delivery.

And on the hour substitute Bailey Brown punished the youngsters once more after Barnet again struggled to clear their lines.

But Barnet heads did not drop and substitute Paris Mason should have got one back when he blasted over on the run, just seconds after coming off the bench.

The impressive Ryan Gondoh was next to go close, manufacturing enough space to get a shot off before dragging wide of the far post from the edge of the penalty area.

With four minutes to go the Bees set up a grandstand finish as Stevens rose highest to thump home a header from Gondoh's cross.

But, try as they might, Barnet could not break down the stubborn hosts again with ten men behind the ball proving an obstacle too far.

Barnet: Haigh (T); H.Taylor, Gater, Kennedy (c), Roache (Day); Shomotun, Fonguck (Gerrard T)), Cojocarel (Mason 73 (T)), Samuel (T) (Nwogu HT); Stevens, Gondoh.

T = Trialist