Luisma Villa’s stunning injury-time free-kick gave Barnet three points they had scarcely deserved, coming from behind to beat Alfreton Town 2-1.

The Bees had been far from their best throughout the contest, with the first half on a par with the 2-1 defeat by Lincoln City last month.

However, Martin Allen’s side kept going against bottom-of-the-league Alfreton, who had been reduced to ten men on the hour.

Alfreton took the lead in the 47th minute when Massiah McDonald headed a free-kick home unchallenged. The Bees drew level when Charlie MacDonald stroked home a penalty after 63 minutes.

Two minutes into injury time, substitute Luisma got the Bees out of jail with an inch-perfect free-kick to settle the contest in the home side’s favour.

Luke Gambin and Jack Saville came into the Barnet starting XI – the only changes from last Saturday’s 2-0 win at Southport. Gambin replaced Mauro Vilhete on the right of midfield; the Portuguese missing out with a knock, whilst Saville came in at left-back in place of Elliot Johnson.

Youth team forward Matthew Stevens was included amongst the Bees' substitutes, whilst Keanu Marsh-Brown also missed out.

Newly-crowned Conference player of the month Graham Stack started in goal, with Andy Yiadom, Bondz N’Gala and David Stephens continuing along the back-line.

In midfield, Lee Cook began on the left, with Sam Togwell and Curtis Weston once more in the engine room.

Up front, captain MacDonald and former Red, John Akinde, started together once more.

Despite being at opposing ends of the Conference table, the two sides matched one another early on, with Barnet unable to trouble the strugglers in the opening exchanges.

In fact, it was Nicky Law’s side who created the two best chances of the opening half-hour.

Former Bee Dan Bradley played a pivotal role in almost all of the visitors’ first-half chances, nearly opening the scoring when he raced onto a long ball forward and brushing aside Togwell before placing a low shot wide of Stack’s far post.

McDonald had an even better opportunity five minutes later, finding himself in enough room in the penalty area to draw a fine low block from the leg of Stack.

Bradley was continuing to cause problems down the right-hand side; motoring past Saville after half an hour, only to drag a low cross into Stack’s grasp.

Barnet responded through Cook, who darted into the penalty area before firing in a low cross which was thrashed to safety at the far post.

From the resulting corner, Cook delivered another tantalising ball to the back post, where MacDonald was unable to keep the ball in play after bringing the centre down.

Seven minutes before the break, Barnet finally put together a string of passes and created by far their best chance of the first 45 minutes.

After Gambin’s shot had deflected into the path of Cook, the winger clipped a perfect cross into the centre to meet the run of Akinde, who contrived to head over from a central position when unmarked.

The two continued to trade chances as the half drew to a close, with neither able to unlock the opposing defence.

Just a minute after the restart, McDonald put the visitors ahead with concerning simplicity.

A Dan Gray free-kick from the left-hand side was met unchallenged by McDonald, who headed past Stack for just the third time this season.

Allen’s response was to introduce Sam Muggleton in place of Saville in an attempt to utilise the defender’s long throw.

With half an hour remaining, the Bees were handed a lifeline when the visitors were reduced to ten men.

MacDonald’s clever flick released Akinde and the powerful forward burst into the Reds’ penalty area before being hauled down by last man 8Lathaniel Rowe-Turner.

After much deliberation, the centre-half was sent off, leaving MacDonald to equalise from 12 yards.

Level and with a numerical advantage, Barnet were seeing far more of the ball but were still struggling to break down the stubborn nine outfield players of Alfreton.

Cook tried his luck with 15 minutes to go but could only plant a left-footed effort straight into the grasp of Reds goalkeeper Cameron Dawson.

Only the agility of Dawson denied Togwell a decisive first goal in Black and Amber, the midfielder crashing a half-volley towards goal from 18 yards which the Reds keeper leapt to palm over.

With seven minutes left, teenager Stevens was introduced from the bench in place of Togwell.

Stevens’ first chance saw him hook a low, bouncing cross wide, before jabbing Stephens’ whipped centre over the bar at the far post under heavy pressure.

Reds’ substitute, Benny Igiehon, could have grabbed an unlikely winner for the visitors, who had been running down the clock from the moment they were reduced to ten men.

A long ball forward picked out the forward, who strode forward before shooting wide of the far post from the left-hand side of the 18-yard box.

With time running out, the Bees were awarded a free-kick 20 yards from goal in a central position. Up stepped Luisma, the Spaniard whipping a superb effort up over the ball and beyond Dawson to win the game.

Barnet: Stack; Yiadom, N’Gala, Stephens, Saville (Muggleton 50); Gambin (Luisma 64) Togwell (Stevens 84), Weston, Cook; MacDonald, Akinde.

Subs: Nurse, Mekki.

Alfreton Town: Dawson; Wood, Graham, Rowe-Turner, Gray; Bradley (Sheridan 45), Keane, Thanoj, Shaw; Ironside (Igiehon 78), McDonald (Gorman 67).

Subs: Hicks, Stevenson.

Attendance: 1,815.

Referee: Mr Paul Rees.