Andy Hessenthaler described Dover's second-half performance at Barnet on Saturday as their worst 45 minutes since he arrived back at the club.

Whites had finished a goalless first half in the ascendancy at the Hive Stadium but failed to build on that as they conceded twice, though Jack Taylor and substitute Mauro Vilhete.

With the defeat went the chance to move out of the National League's bottom four for the first time since August, and boss Hessenthaler admitted too many of his players were below their best.

He said: "I've no complaints about the result, certainly in the second half they were the better team.

"First half there wasn't loads in it, I felt we created the better chances but we didn't make their keeper work.

"I was happy at half-time really other than we probably should have gone in 1-0 up.

"We should've taken one of our chances, we didn't and in the second half we just didn't set the standards we've been setting and it's disappointing.

"I think you can carry a couple of players in terms of having off days but too many players had an off day today.

"You can go right through the team, there weren't many who you could say have done well.

"That second half is probably the worst we've played – I think we looked flat and I don't really know why that was the case because the boys were up for it before the game."

Barnet – who came off at half-time to a few boos from their own fans – made a change during the break, replacing Immanuelson Duku with Byron Harrison and Hessenthaler acknowledged that made a difference.

The home side's second goal came in injury time from another sub, Vilhete, who was only drafted into the matchday 16 at the last minute after the withdrawal of Craig Robson.

Hessenthaler said said: "I think Bryon Harrison's a good striker, they made a change with him, he came on and did well, but that's no excuse, the first goal we gave them was poor, and obviously the second one was us chasing it and we got caught on the counter attack."

Midfielder Jai Reason missed the game with a groin injury but that gave Hessenthaler the chance to hand Ricky Modeste his first start since he re-signed for the club.

He added: "Jay picked up an injury, a slight groin problem, and Ricky can play there and give us a better balance in the team.

"I thought for his first game, he did great, he kept working, and he was probably our most effective player over the 90 minutes.

"I was pleased with Ricky, we put him out on the left for the second half just to try and do something different."