A consolation strike by Ben Strevens in the final minute of the game was all Barnet had to show for their efforts against Darlington on Wednesday evening.
The home side scored either side of half time to condemn the Bees to a 2-1 defeat in difficult conditions at the impressive 96.6 TFM Darlington Arena.
The game looked in doubt an hour before kick off when a sudden burst of snow fell onto the pitch but the work of the ground staff and volunteers ensured that the game went ahead to time.
Darlington started brightly with Simon Johnson and Neil Wainwright looking sharp on the wings for the home side and it was the latter who created the games first opportunity in the 9th minute.
A fine run down the right wing by Wainwright, the former Sunderland pace man, saw him feed Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu whose strike from 25 yards drifted just wide of Ross Flitney's post.
Soon afterwards, and the Bees were unfortunate not to take the lead themselves when a fine run by Nicky Bailey down the Barnet right saw the Bees winger cross the ball low into the box where Jason Norville saw his strike cleared off of the line by Brian Close. The ball hit Norville from the clearance and went inches wide of a post.
Norville then saw another chance go begging in the 18th minute when he latched onto a fine Simon Clist through ball but as he rounded former Bees keeper Bertrand Bossu, the angle was too wide for him to strike at goal and Close made a fine recovery challenge to clear for the corner.
Ndumbu-Nsungu then saw his appeals for a penalty turned away by Referee Booth following a challenge by Simon King, whilst Clark Keltie and Nicky Bailey saw efforts go over the bar for both sides.
However, as half time approached the home side saw themselves celebrating their opening goal of the game. Centre back Shelton Martis saw his fine 25-yard free kick tipped onto a post by Flitney but the rebound fell to Ndumbu-Nsungu who made to mistake firing into the net from four yards.
Martis then saw a further free kick sail over the bar as the Bees went into the break a goal down.
The second half saw Barnet dominate for long periods although they found it hard to break down a stubborn and well-organised Quakers defence and their task was made even harder when Darlington scored their second of the game only eight minutes into the second period.
Wainwright broke quickly down the Bees left following a Barnet free kick, cut into the box before squaring the ball low for Johnson who finished well from 6 yards.
Barnet continued to push forward in search of a comeback and were nearly rewarded on the hour when a Strevens' corner found the head of Ismail Yakubu but his effort was tipped over by Bossu.
Jonjo Dickman, Tresor Kandol and Ndumbu-Nsungu then saw further strikes go wide for the Quakers, whilst a fine run into the box by Barnet substitute Dean Sinclair resulted in the midfielder shooting inches wide of Bossu's left hand post.
King then saw his speculative strike from all of 30-yards drift just wide and Sinclair again had an effort miss a post by inches with Bossu seemingly beaten.
Lee and Vernazza then had further efforts sail over for the away side whilst Flitney pulled off a fine save with his legs from Quakers substitute Carlos Logan follow a fine run from his own half.
However, Barnet broke quickly down the pitch themselves and a fine flick from Vernazza found Strevens (90) in the penalty box and he finished well from 10 yards.
In the final seconds the Bees nearly scored the equaliser but this time Strevens' flick from a Bailey free kick fell into the grateful arms of Bossu and the home side were rewarded with the three points as the Referee signalled an end to the game soon afterwards.
