In the final home match of the season Barnet saw off the challenge of automatic promotion seeking Stockport County with a convincing 2-1 victory.

Goals by Jason Puncheon and Cliff Akurang put paid to any hopes County had a finishing in a top three spot and now they must attempt to gain promotion the hard way via the play-offs.

Barnet were without six members of their first team squad and paired in the centre of defence the erstwhile midfielder Michael Leary and Kenny Gillet, who up until this game had only even been seen at left back.

If the exact nature of the line up was make shift the application and determination of those that were called upon was of a high order.

In the opening exchanges Barnet delivered good quality crosses from both wings and the County defence looked unsteady.

The away side did have their moments, they had everything to play for after all, and they nearly took the lead when a Tommy Rowe effort in the first half hit a post. Josh Wright did very well to block a goal bound effort from Ryan Lowe just after half an hour following good work by Liam Dickinson that had created an opportunity.

In the first period Barnet were certainly getting their shots away, although not all their efforts were troubling the County keeper John Ruddy. Just before the break Akurang had a reasonable claim for a penalty turned down by referee Penton.

With only two minutes on the clock in the second half the Bees were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box, definitely Puncheon territory. His left foot effort cannoned into the defensive wall but from the rebound he struck a right footed shot that flew sweetly into the back of the net..

County were only behind for four minutes when Lowe lobbed Lee Harrison as he latched onto a hopeful punt up field. Surprisingly this did not prove to be the catalyst for the Hatters to go all out for a victory, or perhaps the Bees did not let them.

At times Barnet had Stockport on the ropes with bewitching passing movements, full of guile and invention. From one such move Ruddy pulled out a marvellous save from an Adam Birchall effort.

A fine Barnet performance was finally reflected in the scoreline when local lad Danny Hart, having only being on the field for three minutes, put in an exquisite cross for Akurang to powerfully head home.

This result takes Barnet into the top half of the table and there is now every prospect of the Bees finishing higher than last season's creditable 14th.

Every Barnet player today had a good game, from the post box red booted Gillet, through to the tigerish Porter in midfield to the all round centre forward play of Akurang, and those either side of them, not forgetting Harrison when called upon, this was a team performance that was totally deserving of the three points.

Rotherham United at Millmoor brings the curtain down on the season next Saturday. Without question Barnet look as if they will finish the season in good form. Many teams that subsequently go onto have a good campaign the following season can often trace the beginnings of that form with what they accomplished in the final stages of the previous term. It would be nice to think so.

David Bloomfield