Barnet midfielder Sam Togwell was delighted with how the Bees bounced back against Nuneaton Town on Saturday to record their third win of the season.

Speaking after the game at Liberty Way yesterday, Togwell said:

“It was important that we got a good reaction from the boys after the defeat against Lincoln. I think that the first half performance showed that when we are on our game we are virtually unplayable at times.”

The central midfielder was particularly pleased with the team’s third clean sheet in four games, and admits that the entire team are relishing the challenge of shutting the opposition out:

“For defenders and the goalkeeper the highlight is keeping clean sheets, but the whole team, you’ve got to enjoy keeping clean sheets as much as love scoring. If you don’t keep one then you have got to score two to win a game.

“Stacky made a good save, they had two half chances towards the end but that was it for the whole game.”

Togwell admitted that the players looked to conserve energy for the visit of Dartford to The Hive on Monday, and believes that the team’s ability to control the pace of the game is an encouraging side:

“We did take our foot off the gas. We did it at Chester even though they had ten men, we did it against Bristol Rovers and we did it again today.

“With a game on Monday you have got to think about your body. Had we needed to step it up again we would have done, I’ve got no doubt about that.”

Having joined up with Barnet late into pre-season, the 29-year-old says that he is feeling in good shape now that the season is well underway, and is settling in well alongside vice-captain Curtis Weston in the centre of  the Bees’ midfield:

“I pride myself on my fitness so even when I wasn’t training anywhere during the summer I was still doing what I could to keep fit. I’ve played three lots of 90 minutes and another 45 so I’m feeling sharp and good.

“I think Curtis and I complement each other well. We understand each other’s roles and when he goes forward I sit and vice versa. It is just getting that balance and understanding on the training pitch about what he is going to do and when he is going to do it.”

Togwell also feels that the squad have both the personnel and the ability to adapt to different situations and styles of play, and that this can only bode well for the rest of the season ahead:

“We do want to control the game and get the ball down and play, but when you have got the likes of John Akinde up front, with Charlie and young Jamal Lowe who came off the bench, with the pace and power that

they have got then sometimes you have to go in behind, and when they do we know that they are a handful.

“We are still learning, we are still a newish team as there are many players here who have only just learned but performances and results like that can only put a smile on people’s faces.

“What else can you ask for? Ten goals, just two goals against and nine points. It has gone really well to start, we obviously had a little blip last week but that does happen sometimes.

“As long as it doesn’t happen too many times and we react like we did today then we’ll be fine.”