Barnet discovered the difference between the Conference and League Two the hard way and they will have to learn their lessons fast after falling to a 2-0 opening-day defeat at Leyton Orient.

Martin Allen’s men had been the better side after 45 minutes but a rejuvenated Orient, overseen by title-winning former Bees skipper and manager Ian Hendon for the first time, were a different animal in the second half.

And, just as the game appeared to drifting towards an entirely forgettable stalemate, former Arsenal striker Jay Simpson punished the Bees. Shell-shocked by the goal, a second followed inside a minute as McCallum opened his account for the east Londoners and underlined the step-up in qualiuty in emphatic fashion.

There were no surprises in Allen’s starting XI as Bondz N’Gala was picked to partner Bira Dembele at centre-back in what was the only position up for grabs.

Dembele, along with Gavin Hoyte, was one of just two debutants in the side as Allen stuck with the side which won the Conference title last season.

Graham Stack began between the sticks with Hoyte, N’Gala, Dembele and Elliott Johnson protecting his goal. Andy Yiadom, Curtis Weston, Sam Togwell and Mauro Vilhete comprises the midfield with John Akinde and Michael Gash up front.

Barnet took a little while to settle into the game and Orient were afforded plenty of early possession from which they still managed to muster little.

It was Allen’s League Two new-boys who had the first chance after five minutes, Yiadom bursting into the penalty area only to be denied a shooting opportunity by an exquisitely-timed challenge from O’s skipper Mathieu Baudry.

Two minutes later the home side had by far their best chance of a half which was low on entertainment value.

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Summer signing McCallum raced onto a long ball forward and with Stack off his line and unable to back pedal fast enough, the former West Ham United youngster could only plant his lob agonizingly wide of the far post.

That was a let-off for the Bees who carved out an even better opportunity of their own after a quarter-of-an-hour.

Akinde got the better of Baudry down the left and his cut-back was dummied cutely by Yiadom before reaching Gash to somehow plant wide of the near post as Orient stopper Alex Cisak committed to the opposite direction.

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And it was last season’s 33-goal top scorer Akinde who created the Bees’ second excellent opportunity, rounding Cisak after being slipped in by Vilhete before sitting up a tantalising cross for Weston to nod over with the net unguarded.

The Bees were on top but failed to make their superiority pay and the half petered out with both sides looking ready for the break at the end of a largely uninspiring opening 45 minutes of the season.

Orient, who were sent out slightly earlier than their visitors at the beginning of the second half, made a better start after the break, penning Barnet in their own half from the word go.

Times Series: John Akinde battles for the ball at Leyton Orient. Picture: Action Imahes

And the O’s might have scored within five minutes of the re-start as Stack pushed Simpson’s low shot into the path of McCallum, who could only stab the rebound into the side netting with the goal gaping.

Orient’s bright start continued with Sean Clohessy volleying over from the corner of the penalty area before Bradley Pritchard headed Frazer Shaw’s cross into the grasp of Stack.

Chances remained thin on the ground for Barnet and it was Orient looking more like scoring.

Simpson might have opened his account for the season when he latched onto Dean Cox’s clever through ball but angled his instinctive first-time effort just wide of the far post.

With 16 minutes remaining the home side’s pressure finally told and in emphatic fashion.

A suspiciously offside-looking Cox crossed from the right and his delivery was met by Simpson who screwed a half-volley into the turf and beyond Stack at the near post.

And within a minute it was 2-0 as Barnet failed to clear their lines and McCallum pounced to blast past Stack from six yards following some hesitant defending by the Bees.

The Bees could not react and even with eight minutes of injury time, Allen's side were unable to rescue anything from the game. 

Leyton Orient: Cisak; Clohessy, Baudry (c), Essam, Shaw; Moore (Dunne 84), James, Pritchard; Cox; Simpson (Turgott 88), McCallum (Palmer 90).

Subs: Woods (GK), Ling, Moncur, Kashket.

Barnet: Stack; Hoyte (Gambin 80), N'Gala, Dembele, Johnson; Yiadom, Weston (c), Togwell, Vilhete (Muggleton 65); Akinde, Gash (Stevens 87).

Subs: Stephens (GK), Nelson, Champion, Batt.

Referee: Iain Williamson.

Attendance: 6,151 (905 away supporters).