Conor Clifford said that he was delighted to get out on the pitch on Saturday, as the Bees’ new loanee made his Barnet debut in a 2-1 victory over Woking at The Hive.

The 23-year-old – who joined the club on loan from Southend on deadline day – replaced Luisma Villa as a 40th minute substitute, providing the through-ball for John Akinde that led to Joey Jones’ own goal shortly after the break.

And speaking after the game, Clifford admitted that it had felt good to play such a prominent role in a hard-fought victory:

“I’m chuffed. I was delighted to be out on the pitch and there was a great atmosphere. I couldn’t wait to get on. I thought that it would be a little bit later but I was delighted that it came to quick and I was just chuffed to bits to get on the pitch.

“Obviously the sending-off helped us a wee bit but I thought that we played well. Sometimes it tough when the opposition have had a man sent off, because they were sitting behind the ball even before that.

“The second goal really calmed us down and meant that we could get the ball down and play.

“They are a decent side and came at us towards the end there and were throwing the ball into the box at every opportunity they got.  It was difficult and I thought the lads at the back defended it really well.”

The young midfielder also admitted that his teammates had helped him to settle in well during his first week at The Hive, and that having had his first taste of playing alongside them in front of the Barnet fans spirits were high in the dressing room:

“I’ve gone in and the lads have taken me under their wing and really looked after me. They are a great group and you can see that they are all in it together and that’s why they are doing so well on the pitch because they all back each other up and I’m delighted to be a part of that.

“I thought the fans were brilliant. They were behind us for the whole game and there seems to be a real feel-good factor around here both amongst the fans and in the changing room.

“The lads are buzzing in there and the mood around the camp is brilliant at the minute. It is great coming into a winning environment and it is great to be part of a team that is doing really well and a club that is on the up at the minute.

“But there are still a lot of games and a lot of points left to play for so nobody is getting too carried away.”

To watch the full interview with Conor, simply head to Barnet Player here.