For the second game in a row, Barnet couldn’t secure a victory their performance deserved as Lawrie Sanchez’s men were defeated 1-0 by second placed Torquay United.

The Bees dominated the opening 45 minutes and a missed Izale McLeod penalty meant they had nothing to show for their efforts at the break.

Three minutes after the restart Torquay went ahead through Danny Stevens and somehow managed to hold on and claim the three points.

Sanchez made two changes to his Barnet side as Jack Saville and Sead Hajrovic started in place of Paul Downing and Clovis Kamdjo.

Both sides exchanged early shots from distance but neither Stevens nor Sam Deering troubled their opposition keepers.

The Bees started the game at a good tempo and created decent chances. McLeod first managed to escape a defender before seeing his shot saved. Mark Byrne then curled a free-kick just over the bar.

Barnet continued to dominate the contest and again came close as Ben May flicked a Byrne corner over the bar.

Then came the best opportunity of the opening half for Sanchez’s men. A May flick on put McLeod through and the striker took the ball past keeper Robert Olejnik only to be brought down.

Referee Fred Graham awarded a penalty and, perhaps controversially, gave the Torquay stopper only a yellow card.

McLeod stepped up to take the spot kick but saw his effort hit the post and the ball rebounded out of danger.

Barnet didn’t let the miss affect their performance and created the better opportunities.

May and McLeod again linked well to see the latter shot over from an acute angle.

The Bees top scorer again came close as a mix up in the Torquay defence allowed him to head into an empty net but Brian Saah managed to clear off the line.

The Gulls had been restricted to shots from distance throughout the first half and Dean Brill in the Bees goal went in at the interval untested.

Barnet would’ve been hoping to continue where they left off before the break but just three minutes after the restart they fell behind.

A mix up in the Bees defence allowed Stevens time in the box and he coolly chipped the ball over Brill.

The goal came completely against the run of play and Barnet quickly attempted to get back on level terms.

Saville headed wide from a corner and McLeod should have done better when once again put through by May.

Despite going behind Barnet still looked the better side but couldn’t find a way through the stubborn Gulls defence.

Torquay managed only their second shot on target in the 90th minute as Lathaniel Rowe-Turner forced Brill into a good save.

The game ended in defeat for the Bees but on this showing they will cause League Two leaders Swindon Town plenty of problems when they come to Underhill on Tuesday.

Barnet: Brill; Hajrovic, Hector, Saville, Mustoe; Byrne, Deering, Hughes, Holmes; McLeod, May.

Barnet substitutes: O’Brien, Taylor, N’Diaye, McGleish, Yiadom.

Torquay United: OleJnik, Nicolson, Ellis, Saah, Mansell, Jarvis, Howe, O’Kane, Oastler, Stevens, Lathrope.

Torquay United substitutes: Rowe-Turner, Morris, Rice, MacDonald, Atieno.

Attendance: 2,263 (556)