Three Bees take sting out of Town's revival
And they could have no complaints at the normally happy-hunting ground of Barnet's Underhill after a lacklustre performance – albeit not helped by yet another shabby refereeing display.
But inept officialdom has become the norm of late and shouldn't detract too much from another poor display by players who should, quite simply, be doing a whole lot better for the Mariners.
Not only did they fail to show any real purpose against the Bees but a lack of cutting edge was evident again – one shot on target all game tells its own story.
To make matters worse in north London, they lost defender Paul Linwood to concussion in the first-half and substitute Barry Conlon to his second red card of the season late on.
Ironically, the day had started brightly for Town who went into the game with just one change from midweek – Jean-Louis Akpa Apro in for Adrian Forbes as Newell opted to go with two orthodox front men.
Less than 30 seconds were on the clock when Town's first attack brought about a corner when Akpa Akpro's shot deflected wickedly off a Bees defender.
And within a minute, Town had a second that almost brought them an early opener.
Peter Sweeney's deep set-piece was headed back across goal by Ryan Bennett – on his 100th start for the Mariners – and after Rob Atkinson's effort came back his way, the teenage skipper looped a header over.
Town started really brightly after reverting back to 4-4-2 and Barnet had to wait until eight minutes for their first effort on goal, a low drive from Yannick Bolasie that was easy for Nick Colgan down at his post.
In the build-up to the chance, however, there was a big worry for Town when Linwood stayed down and needed treatment after a hefty aerial collision but he was initially okay to continue.
He may still have been dazed, though, when Bolasie ran at him again a minute later after side-stepping youngster Bradley Wood and went down easily as the Town centre-back hung a right leg out in the box. Referee Darren Sheldrake had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot.
It gave striker John O'Flynn the chance to score his second spot-kick in five days and he slotted the ball down the middle of goal to give a diving Colgan no chance on 11 minutes.
Plymouth loan man Bolasie caused untold problems for Town – much as he did in the corresponding fixture last season – and Wood was the next to be punished with a harsh free-kick on the edge of the box for a nudge on the pacy left winger.
Just five minutes after the opener and the set-piece, with a huge slice of fortune, doubled the lead for Ian Hendon's side.
O'Flynn sent his free-kick cannoning back off Sweeney in the Town wall but the ball fell back to Albert Adomah and he rifled it back quickly towards goal.
The effort looked to be heading wide until a wicked deflection off Bennett's back sent it off the inside of first post and then bar as a helplessly rooted Colgan could only watch and pray for luck that didn't come his way.
Paul Furlong hammered home from a yard to make sure but it was Adomah's goal and Town, like last year, had a mountain to climb as big as the Underhill slope they chose to attack up in the first period.
It could have been worse 60 seconds later when the unstoppable Bolasie broke the offside trap to race into the box but Colgan got down well to save his low effort.
Town utilised the pace in their side when Clarke's through ball sent Akpa Akpro away but, while his strength held off his marker, he ran the ball just too far to make any impact on goal.
Things got worse for Town just before the midway point when Linwood called for physio Dave Moore again – clearly still groggy from that earlier bang on the head.
This time, he was withdrawn and on came Michael Leary against his old club with Bennett dropping back to central defence and Linwood on his way to the local hospital as a precaution.
Then, Moore was back on to treat another wounded Mariner – Adam Proudlock this time walking off gingerly holding his right hip after a heavy challenge. Thankfully for the Mariners, he looked okay to continue.
The Bees continued to make the sloping advantage work for them and Bolasie again turned Wood inside out before blasting over.
Forty-one-year-old Furlong was also a typical handful for Atkinson and co as the home side swarmed all over Town threatening to sting every time they got close to the box.
Adomah also played his part in the attacking throng and was caught late out wide by Widdowson to earn the young Londoner the first yellow card of the game.
The defence were struggling but too many times the lively pace of the Barnet attack was allowed to get through to the final third and the flimsy Mariners midfield was left chasing shadows for large parts of the first half.
The frustration was visible and not helped by yet another sub-standard referee – par for the course in this division.
And Bennett obviously felt as bewildered as anyone by some of the decisions against Town and was punished with the second caution just before the break for telling Mr Sheldrake exactly what he thought.
The second half started sluggishly with Barnet sitting on their two-goal cushion now they were against the slope. But then they had done all their work by making the most of that gradient in their favour when it counted and could afford that retreat.
Town had a great chance to halve that deficit six minutes in when a Jamie Clarke cross fell into the path of Proudlock yards out after Leary won the ball nearby. Proudlock attempted a dink over stopper Jake Cole but the keeper got enough on it to divert the effort over the bar from a matter of yards.
The Town man, who again worked hard, then saw another close-range effort deflected wide from the first corner.
The poor standard of refereeing was still all too evident as Mr Sheldrake again reacted to the home crowd to book Wood for an innocuous, albeit late, challenge on Bolasie.
Town needed to make advantage of the slope like their hosts had and boss Newell made a double change just before the hour mark, bringing on Conlon and Danny North in place of Bore and Proudlock after their contrasting impacts on the game. Bore had hardly had a kick wide on the right while Proudlock again strived to make something happen up front.
It had turned very scrappy with little to lighten up a blustery autumn afternoon.
But then the home fans had something to celebrate when the lively Bolasie capped a stunning individual display with an equally superb third goal for Barnet.
He cut inside of Akpa Akpro and, as the goal opened up, he unleashed a rasper from 25 yards that was past Colgan before he could react and get across to his goal. It was a wonder strike in a woeful game.
Town were now as dead and buried as they were at the same stage of Wednesday night's defeat at Chesterfield. A late comeback looked far less likely here, however, as they lacked invention and creativity.
The worrying thing for Town was that aside from two lively wingers and an old head up front, Barnet weren't much to write home about and yet they easily registered a three-goal triumph.
The pick of the Town side on the day, Akpa Akpro, continued to toil away and try to find a spark but the closest Town went all game came when Barnet's two centre-backs combined to somehow test their own keeper – Gary Breen's clearance hitting Ismail Yakubu and needing a save from Cole.
Then another glum day for the ever-loyal Town away following – again numbering in excess of 500 – was complete when Conlon was shown red two minutes from time.
The big Irishman went up to challenge for Wood's throw-in with Bees left-back Kenny Gillet who went down, belatedly, holding his face.
No-one caused much of a fuss in the Barnet side but Mr Sheldrake had a word with his assistant and then brandished red for what did appear to be a movement of Conlon's arm in backing in. Whether it was an intended elbow or not was debatable but the officials didn't hesitate and just two substitute appearances after a return from a three-match ban, Conlon will now sit out another four.
North, understandably unhappy with the decision, immediately became Town's fourth booking for more dissent.
Five cards to Town and none for the home side tells its own story about the Surrey official – but it was merely a mitigating factor in another blue away day for the under-performing men from Blundell Park.
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