Striker John O'Flynn netted a second-half brace to set Barnet on the way to a crucial win at Underhill this afternoon.

With both sides battling to avoid the drop, neither could afford to lose.

It meant the Bees ended the day six points ahead of Chester.

The game came to life after a goalless first period in which there was little to get excited about, all the goals coming in a far better second half.

Ian Hendon's troops have now gone five games without defeat and their relegation fears appear to be easing.

Barnet made just one change from the side that beat Rochdale on Tuesday, keeper Jake Cole, who was signed on loan from QPR in the week, replacing the injured Lee Harrison.

It was Chester who had the first shot and it almost brought a goal on ten minutes, Ryan Lowe seeing a superb, curling effort come back off the bar with the diving Cole well beaten. It was a lucky escape for the Bees.

Barnet struggled to get going in the opening stages, City making the better start.

But the hosts almost went ahead on 15 minutes, John O'Flynn latching on to a Paul Furlong flick, only to see keeper John Danby block his left-foot effort.

That gave Barnet the lift they needed, and O'Flynn drove a free-kick just wide of the post soon after.

Though the game swung in the Bees' favour in terms of possession, the home side created very little in what was a disappointing first half, littered by petty fouls.

It was all a far cry from Tuesday's pulsating encounter.

The second half was just five minutes old when Barnet struck, O'Flynn curling a free-kick round the Chester wall and beyond the dive of Danby. It was a lovely strike and just what the game needed.

But the lead lasted less than ten minutes, Kevin Ellison finding himself in the clear and coolly sliding the ball under Cole for the equaliser.

It was a blow for the Bees, who were just starting to look like they were getting on top.

There was now much more urgency in Barnet's play, and Ismail Yakubu came close with a powerful header from a Matt Lockwood centre.

Midway through the half, the hosts were awarded a penalty, Furlong tripped as he tried to get to a brilliant Yannick Bolasie cross.

O'Flynn found the bottom corner with his spot kick, though Danby did get a hand to it.

But Chester were not finished and Lowe was just wide with a dipping volley at the other end just a few minutes later.

However, the crucial third came on 73 minutes, Furlong diving to reach an Albert Adomah chip across the box. The ball hit the far post and ran along the line before nestling in the other corner of the net. It was a scrappy goal, but an important one, the two-goal cushion giving the hosts the confidence to close out the game in relative comfort.

Even so, in stoppage time, Laurence Wilson was very unlucky with a cracking volley from all of 30 yards, Cole scrambling back to tip the ball on to the bar and over for a corner.

BARNET (4-4-2): Cole; Hughes, Yakubu, Breen, Lockwood (Gillet 84); Adomah (Birchall 75), Bishop, Deverdics, Bolasie; Furlong (Akurang 75), O'Flynn. Subs not used: Kadoch, Gillet, Leary.

Attendance: 2,085.