It has been four years since manager Paul Fairclough took charge of Barnet.

Each season he wants to at least see an improvement on the last one.

And, though the Bees are destined to finish well off the play-offs, they can at least take comfort from the fact they still have a chance to top last season's 59 points, the highest achieved since their return to the Football League.

These three points at Accrington, a place Barnet and Fairclough do not like going to, proved most satisfying and kept them on course for a mid-table finish.

The Bees now have 57 points, with two games left in which to top last season's tally.

It may be small crumbs of comfort. Fairclough, like the fans, wanted to be in with a shout of the play-offs, but the manner in which Barnet are concluding the campaign will give much hope for the next one.

This was a very professional performance. The Bees might only have their pride to play for, but the players are showing no signs that they are already in holiday mode.

However, that would have been difficult on Saturday anyway. It felt like mid-December, rather than the penultimate away game of the season. A bitter and fierce wind, coupled with a hard, bobbly pitch, made good football almost an impossibility.

But Barnet coped with the conditions much better. With the wind behind them in the first half, they dominated.

Everyone expected the game to swing in Stanley's favour after the break, but the Bees did just as well against the awful conditions, Neal Bishop and Michael Leary popping up to seal the three points.

Fairclough said: "It feels like I've been coming here since I was ten and have never got anything. I'm very satisfied."

His current charges always looked like they would end their own Crown Ground jinx, once Bishop had headed home off the underside of the bar ten minutes into the second half.

The midfielder rose to connect to an Adam Birchall cross, after the striker had picked up the rebound off his own shot.

Leary wrapped it up eight minutes from time, the acting skipper, up for a corner, rising at the back post to nod home an overhead Cliff Akurang cross from close range. It was Leary's first goal for the club.

In between, Accrington's Shaun Walley saw a deflected drive cannon off the crossbar, but keeper Lee Harrison was not overly tested throughout the 90 minutes.

The Bees had also hit the woodwork in the first half, Jason Puncheon seeing a bouncing free-kick strike the base of the post.

The only sour note for Barnet was the sight of Neal Bishop being stretchered off just a few minutes after his goal, though an X-ray later revealed no break.

Fairclough made a point of going over to thank the small contingent of Barnet fans after the game.

"It was about time we won here," he said, as he applauded them.

BARNET (4-4-2): Harrison; Carew, Burton, Leary, Gillet; Adomah, Bishop (Parkes 66), Wright, Puncheon; Birchall, Akurang.

Subs not used: Nicolau, St Aimie, Grazioli, Thomas.

Bookings: Carew, Akurang.

Best Bee: Michael Leary.