The introduction of Michael Gash helped Barnet come from behind to beat rivals Stevenage 3-2 at The Hive with the beefy striker getting the winner from the bench.

Trailing 2-1 when the former Cambridge United targetman was introduced, the Bees had been knocking on the door to little effect.

But Gash’s introduction shortly before the hour mark turned the game on its head and the 29-year-old fittingly popped up in the right place to bag a priceless winner.

Stevenage took an 11th-minute lead via the head of Fraser Franks but Barnet levelled three minutes into the second period when Bondz N’Gala drilled home against his former club.

The visitors wasted no time in re-taking the lead, Tom Hitchcock nodding in two minutes later. But Barnet hit back for a second time in the 63rd minute when Aaron McLean scored his first goal since joining on a short-term contract last month.

Gash then put the Bees ahead for the first time with his second goal of the season 12 minutes from time.

Barnet made two changes for the visit of Teddy Sheringham’s side, handing new loan signing Max Crocombe a debut between the sticks in place of the suspended Jamie Stephens.

The other change saw McLean come in for Luke Gambin - who dropped to the bench - as the Bees reverted to a flat 4-4-2 after setting up in a 4-5-1 system at Portsmouth last weekend.

There were places on the bench for youth team prospects Matt Stevens and Fumnaya Shomotun following Ben Tomlinson’s loan switch to Grimsby Town on Thursday.

Visitors Stevenage settled the better of the two sides in what was a scrappy opening period punctuated by both teams giving the ball away. 

Sheringham’s side took the lead in the 11th minute when Steven Schumacher’s corner from the right was nodded back towards where it came from by Charlie Lee and at the back stick it was Franks who got up highest to flick past a motionless Crocombe.

Barnet had struggled to get a foothold in the game but in the 20th minute had their first chance of note as an Elliott Johnson cross fell to Sam Togwell 20 yards from goal. He took matters into his own hands and sent a half-volley whistling over the Stevenage crossbar.

The Bees’ best chance came a few minutes later, though, when skipper Curtis Weston was played in and brought a smart low stop out of Fulham loanee Jesse Joronen from close range.

By now Barnet were beginning to enjoy a little more of the play and McLean ought to have pulled the trigger sooner when he was slipped in by Akinde, instead seeing his effort blocked tamely into the grasp of Joronen by Mark Hughes.

Former Boro defender Bira Dembele also had a crack before the break but saw his left-footed drive from the edge of the penalty area held with relative ease by Joronen.

Barnet might have equalised from their first foray into the visitor’s half as Stevenage winger Chris Whelpdale contrived to head a Barnet corner just wide of his own net in attempting to nod the ball to safety.

But within three minutes of the restart the Bees had pulled level.

N'Gala flicked on a long Togwell throw up in the air and a deflection off Dembele helped the ball back down to earth and N’Gala was on hand to slam past Joronen, his first goal since a dramatic late winner at Forest Green Rovers almost a year earlier.

But parity lasted just two minutes as Stevenage drew level with a goal remarkably similar to their first.

From another Schumacher delivery - this time from a free-kick - Lee flicked the ball on for Hitchcock to nod beyond Crocombe from the centre of the penalty area.

Shortly after the hour mark Barnet dragged themselves level again with their best move of the match.

Weston picked up possession deep in the Bees’ half, clipped the ball into Akinde down the left channel and Barnet’s number nine looked up to pick out the run of strike partner McLean on the far side. The experienced striker controlled before drilling low into the far corner of the net.

And they might have completed the turnaround soon after when substitute Gambin hooked the ball into Akinde’s path, the forward seeing his volley deflected over from six yards.

The Bees got lucky five minutes later as Johnson was inexplicably only given a yellow card after, according to referee James Adcock, bringing down Hitchcock as the last defender.

Barnet rode their luck, though, and the subsequent free-kick was fizzed narrowly over Crocombe’s crossbar.

Akinde went close again with 20 minutes remaining, thrashing over on the volley after a header from another substitute, Gash, dropped invitingly.

But Gash got his reward with 12 minutes remaining.

Another ball forward from Weston picked out Akinde on the left-hand side of the penalty area he fired in a wicked cross-cum-shot which Joronen could only parry to Gash who gobbled up the chance, tucking into the corner to put the Bees in front for the first time.

Allen’s side should have strengthened their advantage almost immediately when Gash sat up an inviting cross to the back post, Dembele heading firmly towards goal only for Joronen to push over.

With six minutes of time added on it was a nervy finish, never more so than when substitute Dipo Akinyemi fired wide but the Bees held out for their second League Two win of the season.

Barnet: Crocombe; Hoyte, N'Gala, Dembele, Johnson; Yiadom, Weston (c), Togwell (Gash 57), Vilhete (Gambin 54); McLean, Akinde (Nelson 89).

Subs: McKenzie-Lyle (GK), Muggleton, Shomotun, Stevens.

Stevenage: Joronen; Franks, Hughes, Wells, Okimo; Smith (Parrett 60), Schumacher; Whelpdale, Lee (Williams 81), Pett; Hitchcock (Akinyemi 73).

Subs: Day (GK), Henry, McCombe, Jebb.

Referee: James Adcock.

Attendance: 2,480 (681 away supporters).