Hartlepool United 0-2 Barnet: Pools outclassed by National League leaders

Despite a number of nervous moments in the first half, Pools survived until the break but were outclassed in the second period, with goals from Ryan Glover and Lee Ndlovu, who scored for the first time since signing from Boreham Wood, making the difference for a dominant home side.

Pools, who came into the game off the back of a disappointing draw against Woking, who survived for more than an hour with 10 men after defender Chinwike Okoli was sent off 36 minutes into his debut, made four changes from Saturday's game. Versatile attacker Reyes Cleary, who signed on loan from West Brom on Friday and impressed as a second half substitute at the weekend, was handed his first Pools start. He replaced Kazenga LuaLua who, along with defender Matthew Bondswell, was released following the end of his short-term contract. Jack Hunter and Greg Sloggett were handed rare starts, Sloggett's first since October, while Billy Sass-Davies returned to the heart of defence. Nicky Featherstone, Adam Campbell and skipper Luke Waterfall dropped out. In-form frontman Gary Madine, who missed Saturday's game with a groin problem, was back on the bench.

Barnet, meanwhile, who rose back to the top of the National League table thanks to an emphatic 3-0 win over strugglers Maidenhead on Saturday, were unbeaten at home all season having won 11 and drawn three of their 14 matches at The Hive. Bees boss Dean Brennan, who was left seething after Adebola Oluwo had a late goal controversially ruled out in the reverse fixture back in November, named an unchanged side from the weekend's thumping win. Midfielder Mark Shelton, who won promotion with Pools in 2021, had scored seven goals in 22 games since signing for Barnet in the summer. Callum Stead came into the game with nine goals this term, including two in his last four, while powerful frontman Lee Ndlovu, who signed from Boreham Wood earlier this month, was still to get off the mark.

Pools, as expected, were happy to sit in and soak up considerable Barnet pressure in the opening exchanges, with the midfield three of Greg Sloggett, Jack Hunter and Nathan Sheron working hard without the ball. The visitors showed one or two moments of promise at the other end, with Reyes Cleary posing a threat down the left flank while David Ferguson dealt well with the marauding Idris Kanu.

The first half-chance of the game went to the hosts when defender Danny Collinge, who appeared to have a licence to roam forward from centre-half, headed a cross from the left straight at Adam Smith. Bees wing-back Ryan Glover flashed a threatening ball across the face of goal but Pools, who were resolute, disciplined and well-organised, frustrated the hosts in the opening 20 minutes.

While it wasn't quite backs to the wall stuff from the visitors, Pools hadn't offered much in the final third until the lively Reyes Cleary latched onto Mani Dieseruvwe's through ball and forced a sharp save from Cheltenham loanee Owen Evans with a low strike from the left-hand side of the box.

Pools were sitting deep and Barnet started to turn the screw as the first half progressed. The Bees went within a whisker of taking the lead in the 28th minute when the impressive Zak Brunt found space in the box and teed up former Pools promotion-winner Mark Shelton, who struck the outside of the post from eight yards.

Both Myles Kenlock and Mark Shelton shot over from distance while at the other end Mani Dieseruvwe went close from David Ferguson's corner seven minutes before half time.

Pools had to survive a couple of hair-raising moments before the break, with Lee Ndlovu forcing a strong save from Adam Smith, who was quick off his line and made himself big, after the striker stole off the shoulder of Tom Parkes and went through on goal. For all it was an impressive stop from the in-form Smith, the Bees frontman will have been disappointed not to open his Barnet account.

Smith made an even better save in the final minute of the first half, reacting well to Zak Brunt's shot through a crowd of bodies to tip the ball onto the crossbar as the teams headed to the break on level terms.

The Pools defence was breached six minutes after the restart when Ryan Glover fired home from close range, latching onto a loose ball after the visitors failed to deal with Idris Kanu's ball into the box.

All of a sudden, Pools were living dangerously and should have been further behind when Lee Ndlovu headed wide from close range before Adam Smith produced another remarkable save to keep out Callum Stead's header in the 59th minute.

Ndlovu didn't have to wait much longer before scoring his first Barnet goal, turning the ball home at the near post after Pools switched off defending a quickly taken corner after 63 minutes. Having done so well in the first half, it was starting to look like damage limitation for the visitors.

For all Pools might have been disappointed with their second half performance, Barnet were relentless, pressing all over the pitch and causing the visitors all sorts of problems with their pace from the flanks and intricate play through the middle.

Pools made a host of changes, including the introduction of veteran midfielder Nicky Featherstone, who was on for his 444th appearance, drawing him level with Antony Sweeney as the club's third-highest appearance-maker of all-time, and made a rare foray into Barnet's defensive third when Sam Folarin, another of the substitutions, did well to release Mani Dieseruvwe, who was denied by a strong tackle from Danny Collinge.

The final 15 minutes became something of a procession as an impressive Barnet side extended their lead at the top of the National League, while Pools remained four points outside the play-off places.

Pools (4-3-3): Smith; Dodds, Sass-Davies, Parkes (c), Ferguson; Hunter (sub, Madine, 76), Sheron (sub, Featherstone, 73), Sloggett (sub, Campbell, 58); Charman, Dieseruvwe, Cleary (sub, Folarin, 64).

Barnet (3-5-2): Evans; Collinge, Tavares, Kenlock; Kanu (sub, Cropper, 90), Brunt (sub, Coker, 87), Shelton, Hartigan (c), Glover; Ndlovu (sub, Browne, 83), Stead.