Barnet boss Martin Allen hailed ‘an excellent team performance from start to finish’ as his side demolished play-off hopefuls Leyton Orient - and then said he aims to be challenging for those positions next season.

He said after their comfortable 3-0 win: “I thought we dominated the game from start to finish and fully deserved the win. We played with tenacity without the ball to get it back and then with the ball I thought we played some excellent football. It was an absolute pleasure to watch the players and I’m delighted for them.

“It’s just another marker down. It shows how far we’ve come in a short space of time. It’s a terrific effort to finish with a couple of youth team players on the pitch as well.

“We’ve got a very small squad. We can’t pay big wages and we’ve managed to put together a fantastic tight little unit and we take on anybody. I think we’ve done well.

“This team, two years ago when I took over, was midway in the Conference league so for this group of players, plus our young players that are coming through and some of the young players that we’ve brought in from other clubs, we are working towards our future.

“It was good for this club to be safe in March and now we’ve got to get to the next bit and that’s to challenge next season. I’ve got to put together a team that’s going to challenge, and we will.”

Allen's side had far too much pace, aggression and desire for Orient to handle as well as the best two players on the pitch in two-goal ace John Akinde and goalkeeper Jamie Stephens.

Akinde – who will be relishing a return to another play-off chaser this weekend, his former club Wycombe Wanderers, bullied Orient all afternoon and scared the living daylights out of their defenders, while Stephens produced three stunning saves, including a penalty stop, as the O's briefly threatened.

Allen said: “There were some fantastic performances but number one and key was the team performance, everybody playing as we play at Barnet.

“I’m very lucky to have a good group.”

They deservedly took the lead on 26 minutes when Akinde headed in James Pearson’s cross.

And, when the O's had a brief purple patch they could find no way past Stephens who, on his return to the side, produced two terrific first-half stops to deny Nigel Atangana before keeping out Lloyd James’ penalty in the first minute of the second half.

Allen said: “He’s a very good goalkeeper and the penalty save was brilliant. Jamie was a free transfer at the start of the season, no-one wanted him. He’d had more trials than the Old Bailey and there he was coming up saving a penalty. The Barnet supporters will tell you he’s been brilliant in the last few months.”

Just minutes after Stephens’ penalty save, Barnet doubled their lead. Again Akinde was behind it. He powered through the middle, saw his shot saved by Alex Cisak. The ball came out to Luke Gambin whose shot thudded against the bar. Barnet were first to the ball, as they were for most of the afternoon, and recycled it to Sam Togwell who scored with the aid of a deflection.

Barnet’s superiority was underlined with their third on 57 minutes when Akinde out-jumped Cisak on the edge of the box to head his second and Barnet’s third into an empty net.