Following Barnet’s win at Forest Green, the 5th in a row under Ulrich Landvreugd, the Bees looked forward to two home games against Woking and Gateshead now in 3rd place and seeing the play offs as a distinct possibility. However, a disappointing performance followed against the Cards and a 3-1 defeat which included a controversial penalty decision to Woking.
Curtis Weston scored Barnet’s goal and the team was; Jupp, Yiadom, Stephens, Gjokaj, Johnson, Weston, Byrne (Vilhete 56), Abdullah (Nurse 56), Adams, Marsh – Brown, Lopez (Mengerink 72).
Worse was to follow with the Bees also losing 1-0 to Gateshead. The Barnet side was; Jupp, Yiadom, Saville, Stephens, Vilhete, Cadogan (Crawford 76), Weston, Abdulla, Nurse, Marsh-Brown (Nurse 46), Lopez (Gambin 46).
The following Saturday saw Barnet drop out of the top five after losing their third consecutive league match, this time to Kidderminster Harriers, the game ending 1-0. Graham Stack, returning to the side after injury, was sent off late on in the game. The Barnet side was; Stack, Yiadom, Gjokaj, Stephens, Vilhete, Cadogan (Gambin 78), Weston, Abdulla (Marsh-Brown 74), Nurse(Jupp 82), Mengerink, Crawford.
The Tuesday after, the Bees travelled to Macclesfield Town but two Nick Jupp errors lead to a fourth defeat in a row by 2-0 and Barnet dropped to 9th, though still only one point outside the play offs. Meanwhile, Charlie Adams had returned to Brentford and Barnet had two new loan players; Conor Dymond, a midfield player from Crystal Palace and Alex Peterson, a striker from Doncaster Rovers. The Barnet line up against the Silkmen; was Jupp, Yiadom, Gjokaj, Stephens, Vilhete, Cadogan, Weston, Dymond (Abdulla 64), Marsh-Brown (Mengerink 88), Peterson, Crawford (Gambin 80).
The next match was a home game against struggling Hereford United but before that match took place everything at the Hive changed. Barnet appointed Martin Allen as head coach on an 18 month contract. It was Allen’s fourth appointment at the club. Landvreugh and Schreuder were to stay on, at least for the time being, to advise Allen.
Allen’s first signing on his return to Barnet was former Reading midfield player, James Harper who signed a short term contract having been released by Doncaster. Keanu Marsh-Brown scored both goals in a 2-0 win over the Bulls in Allen’s first game of his latest Barnet reign. Barnet moved back up to 6th, level on points with Grimsby but having played four more games. The Barnet side on Allen’s return was; Jupp, Yiadom, Gjokaj, Stephens, Johnson (Saville 62), Harper, Weston, Vilhete, Marsh-Brown (Dymond 59), Nurse, Crawford (Gambin 46).
Martin Allen had made a winning start but could he maintain it and win a play-off place for the Bees. It seemed a tall order.