Martin Allen was left to rue defensive errors after watching his Barnet side go down 3-1 at home to Forest Green Rovers at The Hive on Saturday, although he was able to see the positives in a much-improved performance.
Speaking after the game, the manager reflected on a game that had seen Bees take an early lead through a John Akinde penalty before they were stung by a Rovers recovery, saying:
“I thought that we played quite well for about an hour. It was a much, much better performance. Much better to watch and much better to play in I’m sure.
“I said in my programme notes, I urged the supporters to get behind the players but through the week I spoke to the players about putting on something for the supporters. I think that everyone to a man that came to watch Barnet would say that for sixty minutes we played really, really well.
“But conceding two goals in the manner that we conceded them – one of them was from a corner and another of them was from when we had possession up on the left wing where we have just missed three tackles and they have gone all the way through and scored.
“I think it is probably one of the best performances that we have had here recently. I thought that the crowd got behind the players but two defensive errors have cost us dearly and the last twenty minutes were then difficult to watch.”
The manager also brought supporters up to speed with the latest injury situation, as well as the latest on Conor Clifford’s loan from Southend which was due to come to an end following the game:
“Charlie is out for three or four weeks. It is a calf problem. We thought that it was his knee but he has had a san and it is all clear.
“Curtis Weston has got a thigh problem so that is why he came off. Apart from that everybody else is fit.
“We are trying to get the loan for Conor Clifford extended next week. I’ll have to talk to the Chairman but I have got to now look to try and improve the team because it is not right.”
With Bristol Rovers also losing to Barnet’s opponent this weekend the Bees’ destiny remains in their own hands, lying two points behind the leaders with a game in hand, yet Martin reiterated that his attention is fully on his own side rather than their rivals:
“All I care about at the moment is our players. They have lost a bit of confidence and self-belief and you saw in the first half how well they can play, and they did play really well in the first half.
“But we have to continue that and get through the whole game, and that takes concentration from start to finish.
“The other results and what happens elsewhere, it honestly isn’t any of my business. I don’t care what they all do, all I care about is making sure that our players play better.”
