Barnet goalkeeper Graham Stack hopes he can match the record number of clean sheets in the Skrill Premier and believes the Bees have the best defence in the division.

The 31-year-old has three shut-outs in five games this season, the latest of which came in a 3-0 win over Braintree Town on Bank Holiday Monday.

Ever the perfectionist, Stack feels the Bees should have not conceded in any game this season but is pleased with his performances and of the back four.

“I love clean sheets just like strikers love scoring goals,” Stack explained. “I can’t grumble with three out of five. I think the record in the league is around 24 and that is my target.

“As a defence, I believe we have the best back four in the league, hands down. I play behind them every week and I really think we have got potential.

“But it’s not just the back four who started. Curtis (Weston) dropped back against Braintree and Jack Saville has come in, played well and taken his chances.”

It was a quiet afternoon for Stack against Braintree as the Bees claimed a comfortable victory which takes their unbeaten record to five matches and puts Barnet top of the early Skrill Premier table.

Edgar Davids’ side were expected to win the game before kick-off and that expectation increased when Dean Wells was sent off after just two minutes for a bad challenge on Mark Byrne.

Braintree were reduced to nine men just past the half-an-hour mark when Alan Massey pulled down Harry Crawford in the area. The resulting Jake Hyde penalty was saved.

After a disappointing first half, Barnet improved after the interval and goals from Keanu Marsh-Brown, Byrne and Hyde ensured the Bees claimed all three points.

Stack says it was key the side remained patient in the game and didn’t force things after going into the interval level.

He said: “One of the lads in the dressing room said he’d rather play 11 against 11 and I understand where he is coming from.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather play against nine men every week. But when a team plays with nine men they get everyone behind the ball and it is very hard to break them down.

“We were on top and dominating but it only takes that little bit of luck, a bad decision or a moment of brilliance and then they can go ahead or level.

“We said last week that we weren’t ruthless enough. We were better (against Braintree) but still not as ruthless as we need to be.”

Hyde’s penalty miss was the Bees’ third successive failure from the spot after Crawford and Mark Byrne had spot-kicks saved in pre-season.

Stack believes Marsh-Brown “is next on the list” but when asked if he’d ever consider stepping up from 12 yards, the goalkeeper replied: “I’ll concentrate on saving them and worry about the other lads sticking them into the back of the net.

“But I would love to take a penalty and I would be confident in myself that I would stick it in the back of the net.

“That’s up to the manager but I will put my hat in the ring.”