Barnet manager Martin Allen says he needed to give youth a chance as the Bees were gunned down by Luton Town on Saturday.

Last season's Conference Premier champions ran out 2-0 winners at the Hive thanks to Mark Cullen and a late Jake Howells penalty.

Bees youth team players Alfie Cain, Joe Gater, and the brothers Harry and Jack Taylor were given a late taste of the action of the bench to give Allen hope of using them next term.

Allen said:” They’re playing well and they’re good footballers so we need to introduce them and bring them forward with us.

“They’ve been working hard, the lads in the youth team, the coaches and the managers there have been working very hard with them and they’re good players.”

Senior members of the squad, including Charlie MacDonald, Jon Nurse and Gavin Mahon, were rested ahead of Tuesday night’s visit of Championship new boys Brentford.

Allen added: “I thought it was a fantastic performance, up until the 44th minute when they knocked that goal in.

“We more than matched Luton in the first half, we were dominating the game and we were well on top.

“I rested Gavin Mahon and Charlie MacDonald with a view to Tuesday night and I thought that all the players that came in acquitted themselves really well. I don’t think that there was anything between the two teams.”