Barnet blew the chance to make progress on one of their relegation rivals at Underhill this afternoon.

The Bees are now nine points behind Morecambe after a disappointing defeat.

A win would have closed the gap to just three points.

But the Shrimps came from behind to strike with two goals just before the break, after Mark Byrne had put the hosts in front.

The Bees created plenty of chances in the first half, but lost their way after the interval and remain in the League Two relegation zone.

Barnet boss Paul Fairclough made one change from the side that started at Hereford last weekend.

Rossi Jarvis returned at the expense of Anthony Pulis, who dropped to the bench.

The Bees almost got off to the perfect start on six minutes, Izale McLeod striking the bar after being played in by Byrne.

Morecambe were not totally inactive, and there were also one or two anxious moments in the Barnet box during the opening exchanges.

Byrne and McLeod combined again after 20 minutes, but the latter's shot from the edge of the box was well over.

The deadlock was broken just a minute later. Sam Deering beat his man down the right and drilled in a low cross that hit a Morecambe defender before falling into the path of Byrne, who had the simple job of stabbing the ball over the line from just a yard out.

It was almost two soon after, Matthew Parsons seeing his left-wing shot tipped behind by the keeper.

Clovis Kamdjo then saw a shot on the turn sail over, as the Bees kept up the pressure.

Jordan Parkes was the next defender to try his luck, his long-range effort pushed out by keeper Joe Anyon.

But it was Morecambe who struck with ten minutes of the first half to go. A ball into the box was not cleared and poor marking allowed Danny Carlton the chance to nod past Jake Cole from a couple of yards out.

It was a soft goal and against the run of play.

And it was to get worse, Carlton stabbing home his second following a scramble in the home box on 42 minutes to complete an amazing turnaround.

Carlton actually had a chance to complete his hat-trick at the start of the second half, but he put the ball over after beating the offside trap.

There was also a chance for James Spence, unmarked at the far post on the hour, but he mis-cued.

The chances for Barnet had dried up, the Shrimps now looking the likelier to find a third.

In fact, the Bees' first effort of the second period did not come until 18 minutes from time, McLeod shooting straight at Anyon.

With three minutes to go, Deering sent sub Charlie Taylor down the right, but his first-time shot was pushed behind by the keeper.

BARNET: Cole; Parkes, Devera, Kamdjo, Parsons; Deering, Hughes, Byrne (Taylor 73), Jarvis (Cox 62), Marshall (Vilhete 82); McLeod. Subs not used: Coulton (GK), Dunleavy, Yorke, Pulis.

Attendance: 2,510.