Notts County finish with a flourish against Barnet to tighten grip at the top

Notts County struck three times in the final 15 minutes to stretch their lead at the top of the Vanarama National League to five points with a thumping 4-1 success over play-off-chasing Barnet.

The Bees took a surprise seventh-minute lead at Meadow Lane when Harry Smith seized on a defensive mistake from Aden Baldwin to fire into an unguarded net.

But the hosts roared back in the second half to stretch their unbeaten run to 23 league games, with Cedwyn Scott lashing home the 57th-minute leveller before Adam Chicksen headed them in front in the 76th minute.

Macaulay Langstaff, the division’s leading scorer, fired his 26th goal of the season into the top corner to make the points safe nine minutes from time, prior to substitute Jodi Jones curling in a late fourth.