Southport 2-1 Barnet

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A goal in each half by Lee Ashcroft and Lee Mulvaney secured a 2-1 home win for Southport and ended Barnet's hopes of a third consecutive victory under Martin Allen.

Ashcroft drilled home a 36th-minute free-kick to put Mike Walsh's men ahead.

Mulvaney rocketed a shot from the edge of the penalty area into the top corner of the net exactly half an hour later.

Mark Gower grabbed a stoppage-time consolation goal for Barnet with a thumping drive but it was too little too late.

Junior Agogo missed a hatful of chances for Barnet, the first as early as the third minute when his mishit left-foot strike was comfortably gathered by Southport goalkeeper Steve Dickinson.

Agogo tested Dickinson from 30 yards in the 28th minute and the goalkeeper was also quick to react to two close-range efforts from the same player in the second half.

Southport took the lead after Gary Hornby had been fouled by Barnet's Matthew Langston on the edge of the penalty area in the 36th minute and Ashcroft fired home the resulting free-kick.

Agogo should have levelled three minutes after the restart but shot wide from close range

His miss proved costly as Mulvaney doubled Southport's advantage in the 66th minute with an explosive strike.

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Southport: Dickinson, Lane, Davis, Barry Jones, Clark, Mulvaney, McGuire, Pickford, Hornby, Ashcroft, Steve Jones. Subs: Welsby, Charnock, O'Donnell, Howell, Pell.

Barnet: Naisbitt, Pluck, Langston, Butters, Flynn, Gower, Rowland, Toms, Pope, Agogo, Midgley. Subs: Millard, Baimass, Cashman, Lopez, Strevens.

Referee: A Hogg (Sheffield).