BARNET boss Martin Allen has backed Newport County AFC manager Michael Flynn to have a long and successful career in the game.

Allen’s men got the better of County on Saturday as they triumphed 2-0 at The Hive to boost their slim survival hopes at the bottom of League Two.

But the Bees manager is full of admiration for the work that Flynn has done in his first job.

Flynn guided the Exiles to the Great Escape from relegation last season and they are set for a mid-table finish in his first full campaign, having also taken Tottenham Hotspur to a replay in the FA Cup fourth round.

“Michael has done a remarkable job, taking over a team that was losing every game and then went on, miraculously, a fantastic run to stay up,” said Allen.

“He’s then rebuilt a team a team to be comfortably mid-table after an incredible FA Cup run, even drawing against our local North London rivals from the Premier League.

“He’s a top, top bloke and will go on to have a very good career in football management.”

Allen was delighted that his side managed to get the better of Flynn’s men on Saturday.

“I thought we played really well,” he said. “It was certainly the best performance we’ve had since I started and we kept going for the full 90 minutes against what is a decent Newport side.

“It’s only a few weeks ago that they were challenging for the play-offs so the players did a really good job.”

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Barnet are now four points from safety with two games to play – against 22nd-placed Morecambe and basement boys Chesterfield.

Morecambe play their game in hand at home to 12th-placed Cambridge United tomorrow night but Allen is optimistic that his side can still catch The Shrimps or Grimsby Town, who won at Swindon Town on Saturday.

“There weren’t any nerves,” he said. “The players aren’t allowed to be nervous. Everyone knew we had to win and we just had to get out there and do the job.

“We have got to enjoy these times. We don’t know where we’re going to end up but we’re going to fight to the every end and do very best we can.”

Allen continued: “Everyone knew that Grimsby were winning so that did put a bit of a dampener on it but the players kept going and the fans kept going.

“Whatever happens we want to make sure that we give our best and do our best for the club and for the paying public.

“We can deal with whatever happens if we’ve given our best.

“We’re lucky. We’ve got a very decent group of players and it’s a shame that the season’s ending.

“But I guarantee we’ll go to Morecambe and play much better than we did at Grimsby [a 2-2 draw on April 14] and we’ll see if we can bring home some gold.”

And Flynn believes the Bees can pull off a Great Escape of their own over the next two weeks.

“They’ve got a chance if they play to their strengths,” he said.

“Martin has been in this situation before and he’s somebody I’ve got a lot of time for. I hope he does what he’s done previously and keeps Barnet up because he’s a top bloke.”