Barnet gave their faint hopes of avoiding relegation a boost with a comprehensive 2-0 victory over Newport County at the Hive to secure a third consecutive home win.

A cool finish from Shaq Coulthirst and a headed goal from Ricardo Santos separated the teams with the Bees producing their best performance since manager Martin Allen took over the reins six games ago.

The odds remain stacked against the Bees though. They have two games left to play and are four points behind a Morecambe side who also have a match in hand. However, the two teams will meet at the Globe Arena on Saturday.

Allen made two changes to his team that drew 2-2 at Grimsby last week. In an attacking line-up Santos returned at centre-back after injury, with forward Simeon Akinola winning a place in the starting XI; Nana Kyei and Ryan Watson making way.

John Akinde made a powerful surge down the left flank as early as the second minute but there was nobody in the middle to capitalise on his dangerous delivery.

Barnet full-backs Richard Brindley and David Tutonda were pushing forward to augment the attack at every opportunity.

The home side went ahead in the 10th minute when Coulthirst, despite being closely marked, took control of the ball and steered it home from close range to give the Bees a lead their bright start warranted.

In their next attack County came close to equalising when from a corner, poor marking allowed a Matty Dolan header to crash against the crossbar.

Brindley then went close on two occasions to doubling Barnet’s advantage. He got himself into an attacking position but failed to make a good connection with the ball and then his free-kick from 30 yards was parried by County keeper Joe Day for a corner.

With half-time looming and with Barnet dominating proceedings, Akinola was wasteful with a good opportunity, another Brindley free-kick went narrowly over and Akinde went close with a stooping headed effort in time added on.

In the first minute of the second-half Akinde hit a powerful drive that Day did well to keep out with the Bees continuing to have the upper hand.

Barnet’s cause seemingly suffered a blow when their influential skipper midfielder Dan Sweeney was injured in the 55th minute. Watson was summoned from the bench to deputise and seamlessly assumed his role in central midfield.

A Paul Hayes shot had gone close for County but any Barnet fears were alleviated when in the 80th minute Santos headed home after he had been picked out by Watson’s perfectly flighted corner.

The performance and the result was not that of a relegation bound team, yet the Bees are now dependent on the results of others to avoid the drop with their form in the closing stages of the season in marked contrast to what has gone before.

Barnet: Ross, Brindley, Santos, Nelson, Tutonda, Nicholls, Sweeney (Watson 55), Weston, Akinola (Payne 83), Akinde, Coulthirst (Akpa Akpro 80). Subs not used: Clough, Bover, Fonguck, McKenzie-Lyle.