Head coach Martin Allen was laid up at home with the flu as Barnet claimed just their third away league win by beating Newport County 3-0.

The Bees, who were led by assistant coach Gary Waddock, made four changes from the side beaten 3-1 at The Hive on Saturday by Hartlepool United.

James Pearson, Alie Sesay, Tom Champion and Luke Gambin replacing Curtis Weston, Sam Togwell, James Roberts and Fumnaya Shomotun.

Before the game started County officials made a statement about the tragic death of Barnet supporter, 19-year-old Chris East who had died of a heart attack on his way to The Hive on Saturday.

The supporters and players of both teams were as one in their minute’s applause and after 19 minutes of the match there was further applause.

The Bees lined up in a 4-4-1-1 formation with Mark Randall playing just off of John Akinde with Sesay and Tom Champion the central midfield partnership.

Barnet started in a positive mood and Akinde had a strike on goal with less than a minute gone, an early indication that this was to be Barnet’s night.

In the ninth minute the Bees forged ahead after a powerful run down the left by Sesay who pulled the ball back into the middle for Andy Yiadom to confidently find the net from ten yards.

Ex-Bee and now Newport captain midfielder Mark Byrne was striving hard to rally his troops but he was facing a losing battle as it was the visitors who were imposing themselves on the game.

Byrne did mange one through ball into the path of John Ayina but the Barnet keeper Jamie Stephens, back on his old stamping ground, was the first to respond and he smothered the striker’s effort.

The home side did once come close to a leveller when Ayina tested Stephens from distance, but again the Barnet stopper was resolute and tipped the ball over the bar for a corner.

Barnet had an opportunity just before half-time to extend their lead when Akinde was felled by Byrne just inside the penalty area. The Bees' top-scorer had his spot kick saved but Randall was on hand to steer the ball into the net from the rebound.

In the second period Newport attempted to push men forward in an effort to get back into the game. But having thrown caution to the wind they were suspect when Barnet mounted counter-attacks.

From one such breakaway Luke Gambin was set-up by Akinde only for this golden opportunity to be spurned.

But Gambin would be the provider this time for Akinde with a drilled delivery into the middle in the 69th minute from the left which the big striker, under pressure from Danny Jones, headed home from close range.

The home side were now totally deflated as Barnet were untroubled for the remainder of the match as the Bees inflicted County’s first home defeat of 2016.

This was a comprehensive victory for the Bees and made the defeat against lowly Hartlepool on Saturday appear to be a temporary blip in Barnet’s otherwise upward trajectory since the turn of the year.

Newport County: Day; Holmes (Owen-Evans 45), Jones, Donacien (Davies 70), Hughes; Rodman, Byrne, Klukowski (Morgan 45), Ayina; Boden, Wilkinson.

Subs: Barrow, Green, Meechan, Gosling.

Barnet: Stephens; Pearson, Nelson, N'Gala (Togwell 35), Johnson; Yiadom (c), Champion, Sesay, Gambin (Shomotun 86); Randall (Vilhete 77); Akinde.

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

Referee: Lee Swabey.

Attendance: 2,032 (88 away supporters).