Barnet were punished for their first-half profligacy by ruthless Peterborough United, who ran out 2-1 winners thanks to a vastly-improved second period.

This was, though, exactly the test Martin Allen would have been looking for and he will have taken some heart from a showing which saw his side rack up a host of good chances before the break without the Posh hitting back.

Former Tottenham Hotspur man Souleymane Coulibaly eventually broke the deadlock six minutes after the break before youngster Harry Anderson doubled up in the 66th minute. Michael Gash scored a 90th-minute consolation with a textbook volley.

Head coach Allen declared “training-type games” had now passed prior to the game and named a strong starting XI comprised of only first-team squad members for the first time in pre-season.

Graham Stack had been due to make his second appearance of pre-season but in a late and unscheduled change, was replaced between the sticks by trialist Ashlee Jones, who by a quirk of fate, played against Barnet a week ago for St Albans City.

Bira Dembele returned after returning to France to be with his wife for the birth of their child, whilst John Akinde and Kevin Lisbie were paired together up front.

Andy Yiadom started on the right-hand side of midfield whilst Michael Nelson was again at centre-back.

Posh included new signings Andrew Fox, Kieran Sadlier and Coulibaly from the start in a youthful XI which also boasted a smattering of senior players. Another new signing, Lee Angol, started from the bench.

It was a slow start with neither side really having a chance of note until the 13th minute when Yiadom wastefully dragged a low into the palms of Posh keeper Dion Curtis-Henry after the Bees broke in numbers.

The tireless right-sider was having no little joy on the wing and tested Curtis-Henry shortly after before Curtis Weston tried his luck from with a stinging drive.

Barnet were by far the better of the two sides and went closer still when Lisbie hooked a half-volley towards goal at the back post but Curtis-Henry got down well to block with his legs.

Skipper for the day Mauro Vilhete then came within a whisker of opening the scoring when he reacted quickest to nod a Sam Togwell corner in at the near post where Curtis-Henry was again equal.

Posh boss Dave Robertson had named a side which was by no means weak and would doubtless have been frustrated as his side’s lack of attacking purpose; Harry Anderson earning a corner with the League One side’s only real foray into Barnet territory.

Four minutes before the break Barnet had the first of two excellent changes when Lisbie hooked against the bar from point-blank range.

Lisbie then contrived to stab into the side netting when it would surely have been easier to score from roughly a yard out.

Having doubtless received a rocket at the break, Posh had the first chance of the second period with Coulibaly seeing his header brilliantly pushed onto the post by Jones.

And having not heeded the warning, Barnet fell behind in the 51st minute. Coulibaly latched onto a flick and raced on to shoot low past Jones into the bottom corner from 18 yards.

Presentable chances proved few and far between until the 66th minute when Posh doubled up against the run of play. Bees trialist Jones looked to have denied Harry Anderson as he charged through but the winger did well to acrobatically hook home with the keeper stranded off his line.

A spate of substitutions from both sides interrupted the flow of the game and both sides subsequently struggled to carve out any real chances of note.

Barnet got some scant reward for their endeavours seconds before the full-time whistle when Gash thumped a Sam Muggleton cross home at the near post with a first-time volley.

The whistle blew after the visitors took kick-off.

Next up for the Bees is another stiff test against Championship new-boys MK Dons at The Hive on Saturday.

Barnet: Jones (T); Hoyte (Tomlinson 67), Nelson (N’Gala 67), Dembele, Johnson (Muggleton 76); Yiadom, Togwell, Weston (Champion 73), Vilhete (Gambin 67); Akinde (Gash 64), Lisbie (Batt HT).

Peterborough United: Curtis-Henry; Adebayo-Rowling, Zakuani (Santos HT), Brisley, Fox; H.Anderson, J.Anderson, Newell (Trialist), Sadlier; Vassell (Angol 58), Coulibaly (Oztumer 58).

Subs: Alnwick (GK), Bostwick, Maslen-Jones, Washington, Gormley, Da Silva Lopes.

Referee: Mick Russell. 

Attendance: TBA.