Barnet put in a performance that belied their bottom-of-the-table status but ultimately a goal conceded in the 75th minute boosted Coventry City’s play-off aspirations and left their beaten opponents seven points from safety following a 1-0 defeat.

In their first ever visit to Coventry, despite dominating for large periods of the game the Bees could not get the ball into the net.

Sky Blues goalkeeper Lee Burge was frequently called upon and he performed heroics to keep the visitors at bay.

On chances created few could have argued had the Bees enjoyed a three-goal lead at half-time.

Shaq Coulthirst had forced Burge to make a fine save early on with a Ricardo Santos header going narrowly wide of the target soon afterwards.

Barnet’s debutant keeper George Legg had kept out an effort from Marc McNulty but it was Coventry’s Burge who was the busier throughout the first half.

With the interval looming Burge needed to be alert once more to keep out efforts from Coulthirst and John Akinde.

The Bees were again thwarted by Burge in the opening seconds of the second half when he pushed wide a fierce drive from Ryan Watson.

The home side came out of hibernation and into the game around the hour mark and began to show more cohesion in their play.

McNulty should have broken the deadlock when he headed the ball into the ground and up over the bar from a Liam Kelly cross.

The match now had an ominous feel to it with a sadly familiar feel to it for the visitors; Barnet being unable to capitalise when they are on top and then a defensive failing costing them dear.

The match was decided in the 75th minute. McNulty delivered a cross to the far post, where having escaped the attentions of defenders Mauro Vilhete and Dan Sweeney, Jonson Clarke-Harris had the simplest of tasks to score from close range.

Barnet responded by making a triple substitution but despite these changes the visitors did not carve out a clear-cut opportunity and the hosts were able to cruise to a victory that had looked unlikely for large swathes of the match.

Barnet: Legg, Vilhete, Santos, Sweeney, Tutonda, Coulthirst, (J.Taylor 78), Watson, Weston, Bover (Nicholson 78), Nicholls, Akinde (Akinola 78). Subs not used: Ross, Clough, Plavotic, Briggs.