Martin Allen felt Barnet played with more courage and belief in the second half against Stevenage and it was those qualities which enabled his side to come from 2-1 down to win 3-2.

The Bees were poor in the first half and deservedly trailed to an 11th-minute header from Fraser Franks. However, Bondz N'Gala netted after three minutes of the second period to drag Allen's men level.

Tom Hitchcock nodded in a second just two minutes later to restore the visitors' lead, but Barnet refused to roll over for Teddy Sheringham's side and further goals from Aaron McLean - his first for the club - and Michael Gash sealed a second League Two win of the season.

Reflecting on a vastly improved second half showing, Allen said: "I thought we were more tenacious, I thought we moved the ball quicker, I thought we were quicker to the ball, we won more knock downs.

"We played forward quicker, penetrated far more than we did in the first half and most importantly, I thought we played with more courage and self belief.

"After a few tricky results their self belief could be knocked and they could worry. I have to keep reinforcing the message to all of them.

"They are good players and people. If we keep doing the right things I know the results will come."

Allen was animated in the dugout during the first half and it was evident to all the Bees head coach had been unimpressed by what his side offered up.

But asked what he had said to lift his players during the interval, Allen deflected all credit to the players instead.

He said: "I did not say anything, the players did it all.

"They knew they could do better. They knew they could be sharper. They knew they could have more tenacity and they certainly stepped it up and played better.

"That is the good thing about having senior players within your group. They sort of do it for me. I’ve always said that - I don’t do a lot. I bring the people in that will do it all for me and as a group they have ownership of what they do which makes it better for me really."

And the Bees boss also had praise for the supporters who backed their team in the second half to come out on top against their Hertfordshire rivals for the first time in a league fixture since January 2005.

"I don’t think we played very well in the first half but we played really well in the second half," said Allen.

"I thought the supporters today were absolutely superb. It was not easy to watch in the first half but all credit has to go to the players for the way they picked themselves up in the second half.

"They upped their game and I thought thoroughly deserved to win. We had numerous other chances in the second half where we could have had more goals."

You can read the match report from victory over Boro by clicking here.