Barnet recorded their first away victory of their league campaign with a convincing 1-0 success at Mansfield Town, who coming into the match were in fifth place in the table.

A second-half solo effort by the prolific John Akinde proved to be the winner and although keeper Josh Vickers was called upon to make a fine save from a Darius Henderson header late on, there could be no denying that the Bees deserved the points.

Barnet again selected Vickers ahead of Jamie Stephens, Shaun Batt was given the nod to partner Akinde up front and with Luke Gambin on the left wing, the Bees looked set to take to game to the Stags.

In the opening exchanges Mansfield tested the Barnet rearguard by getting the ball into the penalty area at every opportunity. But they encountered Vickers in a confident mood and a defence who were willing to put bodies in the way of crosses and shots to block any danger.

Midway through the first-half Barnet had the first of three penalty appeals turned down when right-back Mauro Vilhete was felled after he’d made his way into the box.

The home side’s best spell of the match came towards the end of the first 45 minutes. CJ Hamilton, on the left wing for the Stags, was seeing a lot of the ball and his trickery was cause for concern. During this period Matt Green’s headed effort lacked power when he was well placed.

In the second half the Bees stepped up a gear and within minutes of the restart excellent play on the right by the impressive Batt set up a chance that Akinde and Gambin were only just unable to capitalise on.

Green then had another chance for the home side but he misjudged his lob over the advancing Vickers and the ball went wide of a post.

Batt was then a victim of a crude challenge when two Mansfield defenders bundled the striker to the floor in the penalty area, but referee Sebastian Stockbridge was again unmoved.

The winning goal came in the 57th minute. Gambin played a neat pass into the feet of Akinde, but the striker still had a lot to do.

Picking up the ball just inside the Mansfield half the striker waltzed past ex-Bee Krystian Pearce and headed goalwards. Scott Shearer came out to narrow the angle but Akinde had expertly found the corner of the net before the keeper could react.

Mansfield were rarely able to mount a response to going a goal behind as Barnet took a firm hold on the fixture.

Alie Sesay was called from the bench to add steel to the Barnet midfield with Jamal Campbell-Ryce also joining the fray, using his experience and guile to great effect.

In the closing moments Vilhete had his second penalty appeal denied, but the visitors were determined that their slender lead would be sufficient to give them all three points.

Manager Martin Allen congratulated each and every one of his players as they left the pitch; it had been the kind of performance where each team member had fully contributed to the victory.

Had the Bees won at Newport last week - they were leading 1-0 before the game was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch - they would be in the Play-Off places, but instead they sit in 13th place, albeit with a game in hand on their rivals.

Barnet: Vickers, Vilhete, Nelson, N'Gala, Johnson, Nicholls (Sesay 75),Togwell, Weston, Gambin (Campbell-Ryce 70), Batt (Akpa-Akpro 60), Akinde. Subs not used: Stephens, Watson, Taylor, Tomlinson.