Barnet 2 Hartlepool 1

Coca-Cola League Two

The Bees pulled off a superb win at Underhill on Saturday, ending the league leaders' 23-game unbeaten run.

Barnet were the last side to defeat Hartlepool with a victory in the north east in November, and this victory completed an impressive double over a side which will almost certainly be playing in League One next season.

Barnet took the lead after just four minutes when Liam Hatch pinched the ball from Pools' captain Michael Nelson and put Jason Puncheon clear down the left wing.

His deep cross was met at the far post by Hatch who nodded the ball down for Adam Birchall to tap into the net.

The visitors responded well and almost pulled one back straight away - Eifion Williams' header was well saved by Bees' keeper Lee Harrison.

Paul Warhurst came close to his first goal in a Bees shirt after ten minutes, but saw his header cleared off the Hartlepool line.

Barnet outplayed the division's top side for much of the first half, with Hatch and Nicky Bailey having chances saved by the visitor's keeper, Dimitrios Konstantopoulos.

But there was disappointment to come, as Paul Warhurst suffered a serious groin injury which will rule him out for the rest of the season.

Hartlepool threatened throughout the second half, with Harrison called into action on a number of occasions. The visitors levelled in the 77th minute, when Williams beat Simon King to the ball and saw a deflected shot beat Harrison.

But four minutes later the Bees scored their winner, with Puncheon cutting in from the right wing, beating two defenders and firing a 20 yard drive into the bottom corner of the visitors' net.

He responded by taking his shirt off and running towards Hartlepool manager Danny Wilson, his former boss at previous club MK Dons.

Barnet manager Paul Fairclough called his defenders' performances outstanding', and praised the Bees for ending Pools' impressive unbeaten run.