Barnet boss Dean Brennan felt his side produced an “outstanding” performance in the 2-0 win over Tranmere Rovers as the Bees extended their unbeaten League Two run to five matches.
First-half strikes from Lee Ndlovu and Adam Senior guided the Bees to their fourth win in five league matches, lifting Brennan’s side into the top seven for the first time since returning to the EFL.
“I thought we were excellent today – as good as we’ve been over the last nine games,” Brennan told the club website post-match.
“Our standards now we’ve set in this division – I keep telling the players to adhere to them, and they did. In the second half, I thought we were outstanding. We’re outscoring; we had some amazing chances. We weathered the storm at the start of the second half, and just about everyone to a man stood up and left everything out on the pitch.
“The level of commitment, our fitness levels, the blocks we made when we had to make blocks. They [Tranmere] didn’t have many chances. I think they had one early in the first half.
“We had so many good chances, and we never let that get us down.”
Despite dominating most of the game, Barnet found themselves under unwelcome early pressure when Tranmere fashioned an opening to break the deadlock.
But a break in play proceeded by some intelligent combination between Anthony Hartigan and Lee Ndlovu allowed the latter to neatly grab the opener.
On his reaction to the goal, Brennan said: “It was a bit of a sparring match. We were sort of feeling each other out in two different systems. It fell to Harts [Hartigan], great second ball, and he’s punched a lovely pass though to Lee.
“Great pass, wasn’t it? Beautiful pass on the half-volley. Lee’s first touch in clinical. I try to always coach the forwards to play on the shoulder, and when he gets in there, he’s so composed.
“It was a great goal and the start we needed.”
Defender Adam Senior then put the seal on the win with a header after 40 minutes to ultimately give visitors the points.
And Brennan praised his summer signing, having featured in all of Barnet’s League Two fixtures so far this season.
“I’m delighted for Seens. He’s up against a tough player there in [Omari] Patrick, and I thought Patrick didn’t give him the time he’s given to other players. I thought he handled him really well. He made him defend, which is what we wanted him to do.
“What I liked about that goal is I think we made an entry and then sustained the attack. We kept it alive and kept probing, and we managed to play on the back foot and switch it out to the right-hand side.
“It was a great first touch from Danny [Collinge]. He’s crossed it in, and Seens is in the perfect position, and he just guides it in.”
Barnet host Notts County this weekend (Saturday 3pm) before facing fellow League Two outfit Cambridge United on Tuesday evening in the EFL Trophy (7.45pm).
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