Barnet boss Martin Allen said his side’s performance in their 2-1 League Cup defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers was closer to what he demands and felt the Bees were unlucky not to equalise.

Allen might have feared the worst when after three minutes the Championship side took the lead via Bright Enobakhare.

Kenny Jackett’s side then proceeded to pass up a number of good chances before finally doubling up after the break through Liverpool loanee Sheyi Ojo.

But Barnet played their best football from that point on and pulled one back when Bira Dembele bundled home his first goal for the club from a short corner routine instigated by Elliott Johnson.

Aaron McLean might have snatched an unlikely equaliser for the visitors but it was not to be.

The Bees head coach spoke on Monday of his disappointment in the performance at Bristol Rovers on Saturday, claiming a number of players had not earned the right to face Wolves tonight.

Asked afterwards if he had been pleased by an improvement tonight, Allen said: “Very much so, it was full of commitment and full of energy.

“I thought we were tenacious, passed the ball well in the first half and moved the ball around well to frustrate the opposition.

“They have got some good players playing in their squad. I know that wasn’t their full first team but they’re still decent players.

“Overall I thought that we did very well. We were a little bit unlucky there in the second half not to get an equaliser, and for the last 25 minutes of the game I thought there was only one team in it. All credit to our players for that.”

After a first half in which Ojo and Enobakhare in particular caused the Bees’ backline numerous problems, Allen was pleased with his side’s vastly-improved second-half showing.

“I thought we worked very closely to our gameplan, which was obviously to try and frustrate them in possession,” he explained.

“Of course, when they score after two minutes it becomes very difficult for our players, but we kept going.

“We expected as the game went on that there would be gaps to open up and the gaps duly came. Then we put another couple of players on to help change the game.

“We went a little bit more direct and had a lot of play in the final third but couldn’t manage to get the equaliser.”

Set up in an unfamiliar 3-4-3 formation which saw the Bees start with three centre-backs, Allen was quick to praise his defensive trio of Bondz N’Gala, Michael Nelson and Dembele.

He said: “As a manager you have got to try and work out how you are going to get all your experienced good players in the team.

“That worked very well I thought tonight with the three centre-halves working there together. That is something that we will have to look at because all three of those players are good.”

You can read the match report from Barnet’s League Cup exit at Molineux by clicking here.