YOU cannot choose which games you win and lose - but Barnet really needed to win this one on Saturday.

The Shrimps started the day just six points ahead of the Bees.

A win for Paul Fairclough's side would have cut the gap to a mere three.

But two goals in seven minutes just before the interval mean Morecambe are now nine points clear of Barnet, making it one less team the Bees have a realistic chance of catching.

Fairclough was a disappointed and surprised man at the final whistle.

He said: "We just didn't perform and I'm mystified as to why, as we had a good week in training after the Hereford win. It's very disappointing."

He admitted the best team won on the day.

"Morecambe were the better team. Too many of my players under-performed," he said.

The game was billed as a big one in Barnet's chances of survival, but, despite taking the lead through Mark Byrne, the hosts never really got going and, by half-time, they were down and out.

The Bees created plenty of chances in the first half, but nothing much of note after the break, which was perhaps the most disappointing aspect.

In the end, it was a relatively comfortable win for Morecambe.

Barnet started well and Izale McLeod had even struck the bar before Byrne prodded home the opener midway through the first half.

Sam Deering did excellently down the right and his low driven cross bounced off a couple of defenders, before sitting invitingly for Byrne to finish off from a couple of yards out.

But poor defending allowed the visitors back in to it, Danny Carlton completing his brace within seven minutes, both of his goals hit from close-range.

The Bees did have one chance close to the end, but sub Charlie Taylor saw the keeper tip round his low drive from the right.

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.