Barnet tasted defeat at relegation threatened Notts County, with the hosts earning a 1-0 victory despite playing 79 minutes with 10 men after Mark Yeates was sent off.

County took a lead early in the second half when the Bees were at their most ragged and once ahead they rarely looked like conceding a goal as the visitors struggled to make inroads.

Barnet made one change to their starting line-up from the midweek draw with Yeovil, with Santos being recalled at the expense of Charlie Clough.

They continued with three at the back and Mauro Vilhete and David Tutonda as the wing-backs.

County are now unbeaten at home in seven matches and showed resilience and determination to keep the Bees at bay with Barnet unable, despite their one-man advantage, to find coherence in their play.

The home side were unfazed by the 11th-minute red card for a foul on Ricardo Santos, and any notions that the game would swing in Barnet’s favour were soon dispelled.

Shortly after the dismissal Marc Bola almost capitalised to open the scoring when Jorge Grants’ free-kick was charged down by the defensive wall.

On 20 minutes John Akinde received a caution for simulation when he burst through the County defence with referee Keith Stroud judging that Adam Collin’s tackle was legitimate, and waving aside Barnet’s penalty claim.

Barnet best hope was in getting the ball to the in-form Jamal Campbell-Ryce, with the forward cutting-in from the right with half-time approaching only for his curling effort to be kept out by keeper Adam Collin.

The second-half began with Barnet disjointed and alarmingly open at the back; Bola, on loan from Arsenal, immediately threatened with an effort from distance.

On 49 minutes the hosts unsurprisingly scored first. Right-back Matt Tootle powered a shot home when he latched onto a loose ball in the Barnet box.

The Bees responded with a Ryan Watson effort which flashed past a post, but if anything the goal acted to boost the home side’s confidence and they were now even more content to get their men behind the ball, hoping to catch the vulnerable Bees on the break.

The Magpies then had a number of opportunities to extend their lead further with Grant and Shola Ameobi spurning good opportunities.

With the pitch cutting up and the windy conditions an issue, Barnet were visibly striving for an equaliser with both the attacking and defending becoming more desperate.

Barnet’s best chance fell to substitute Ruben Bover who side-footed the ball over the bar from close-range, but despite pushing the Magpies on the defensive it would be impossible to deny that the hosts deserved their victory.

The three points gives County considerable breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone; the defeat leaves the Bees treading water in mid-table.

The Bees have yet to win in the seven matches since Kevin Nugent was appointed, registering four draws.

Barnet: Buchel; Santos, Nelson, Dembele (Cojocarel 61), Tutonda; Vilhete, Champion (Bover 62), Watson, Campbell-Ryce; Akinola (Coulson 69), Akinde.

Unused: Johnson, Amaluzor, McKenzie-Lyle, Clough.