Barnet 2, Aldershot Town 0

SHOTS boss Danny Searle cut a frustrated figure as errors cost his side dear at The Hive on Tuesday night.

Looking to build on Saturday’s superb 2-1 win at Stockport County, Searle could only look on in disbelief as Ephron Mason-Clark and Wes Fonguck condemned Aldershot to a sixth defeat in 11 games.

Mason-Clark’s strike was a particular sickener, coming as it did just two minutes after the restart after an even first half at Barnet’s fancy facility.

“We did what we came here to do in the first half,” said Searle.

“They’re a very good side. You don’t go and spend the money they spend on another forward and bring him in to add to their already big and strong squad and not be a good side, but we managed the game well first half and on chances it was relatively even.

“Before the second half, we talked about individual errors, we talked about mistakes, we talked about doing your job properly, we talked about not taking risks in areas where we don’t need to take risks, and then two minutes into the second half we did exactly that.

“It’s a shame because even second-half chances wise, although they took both goals well, we had some good chances as well but we just didn’t take them, and it’s frustrating because after Saturday’s performance and the first half here we think ‘we’re building, we’re building’ but, as always, individual errors cost you.”

Searle was quick to admit that the biggest difference between the two sides was the finishing – Barnet, in moving up to fifth in the National League table with the win, were clinical in front of goal, Aldershot were not.

The Shots got into promising positions throughout the game, with Jack Powell invariably pulling the strings for the visitors, but seemed reluctant to pull the trigger when faced with a sight of goal in drizzly north London.

“That is exactly the conversation we have just had in the dressing room, the difference in both penalty areas,” admitted Searle straight after the game.

“They defended a bit better than we did and we didn’t take our chances when we had them, and when they got their opportunities in our final third they tucked them away.

“The ironic thing is that’s what we did do on Saturday. We were getting the ball on the edge of the area and we were having shots at goal, and there were so many times tonight when we denied that opportunity, and they showed tonight that if you have a go from outside the box you never know what might happen.”

Shots keeper Mitch Walker could do nothing to prevent either goal, with Mason-Clarke effortlessly brushing off a challenge before rifling the ball into the bottom corner before Fonguck bent a beauty into the top right corner from all of 25 yards after Robbie Tinkler’s lung-busting run into the Barnet half came to nought.

And but for Walker, the defeat could have been heavier as the Shots keeper pulled off a fine double save within 30 seconds to keep the busy Bees at bay.

The crossbar also came to Aldershot’s rescue from a late Fonguck strike while the busy Harrison Panayiotou spurned Aldershot’s best chance as he dithered and sliced wide after a fine ball from Powell in front of Town’s 200-strong, noisy faithful.

“It’s two tough games Stockport away and Barnet away, that’s one team that’s already up there and another team that’s just gone all the way up there, so we knew it was going to be tough.

“If it’s mid-season and you’re sitting mid-table and you take three points from those two games, some people would say ‘we’ll take that’, but with how we performed in the first half it should have been a better result tonight.”

Now, though, all thoughts turn to Wrexham at the EBB on Saturday.

“We can’t sulk about it too much, we just have to get on with it. The fans were excellent again tonight. Wrexham’s a big game on Saturday and we really appreciate any support we get and there’s a real core of loyal fans there that always make us feel that we have got something to play for.”