A young Town reserve team was defeated 2-1 by Conference side Barnet at Underhill on Wednesday night. The Blues took the lead through Shefki Kuqi in the ninth minute but before the break the home side hit back through Guiliano Grazioli and Liam Hatch.
Kuqi and Georges Santos were the only non-youngsters in the line-up and within eight minutes the Frenchman was off the field. The QPR and Burnley targeted player clashed heads with Dwane Lee in the centre circle and required lengthy attention before being helped off with his nose bleeding.
A minute later Town were in front. Daniel Flack made a break down the right and crossed deep to Kuqi, who took the ball down with his chest before shooting low past the keeper at his near post.
Nine minutes later the Finnish-Kosovan came close to adding a second in bizarre circumstances, a clearance striking him and looping over the keeper but hitting the upright.
The home side's first goal came within a minute and was not without controversy. Referee Mr Appleby was still talking to centre-half Aidan Collins about his foul as Barnet took their freekick. The youngster was therefore stuck well out of position as Grazioli took the ball into the box, beat a couple of desperate challenges and planted the ball past Price.
The Town keeper did well to stop Grazioli adding a second three minutes later before Liam Craig had a shot saved at the other end. Soon after, Collins was on hand to head a looping ball off the line after Price had been beaten in the air.
With eight minutes left until the break Barnet went in front. Scott Barron was caught in possession on the Town left, the ball being played into the path of Hatch on the home side's right flank. The Bees' midfielder took the ball into the area, cut inside Patten's lunge and slotted the ball past Price.
The Blues made no changes at half-time and the game continued in a similar vein; largely scrappy with Barnet creating the better of what few chances there were.
Ben Strevens ought to have scored in the 50th minute when Chris Hogg headed the ball straight to him on the edge of the Town six-yard box, however, the striker sent the ball wildly over the bar.
Price saved well from Grazioli after the former Swindon and Stevenage man had been played in over the top in the 57th minute.
On 64, Kuqi shot across the face of goal, Town's first serious shot of the half. Soon after, Boardley drew a save from Barnet keeper Gore with a low shot after good work from Kuqi and Daryl Knights.
A fairly even game but with Barnet looking the sharper up front, perhaps unsurprising given the youth of some of Town's players; the likes of Daryl Knights only just out of school.
Knights impressed with his movement but lacked strength when up against Barnet's more experienced players. On the right wing Daniel Flack made one or two decent runs and provided the goal for Kuqi's goal.
The Finn had one of his frustrating evenings, the ball often bouncing uncontrollably off his foot and, despite the goal, not a performance which is likely to push him further up the ranks of first team strikers.
On as a sub late on was Lubimal Guentchev, son of former Blue Bontcho, who darted around much in the manner of his father but wasn't really on the field long enough to show his full range of skills.
At the back, Aidan Collins had a solid game alongside Ben Patten, signed late last season from the reserves' next opponents Redbridge. Town's second string travel to the club formerly known as Ford United on Sunday lunchtime (KO 12.30pm).
Reserves: Price, Hogg, Barron, Patten (Sobers 61), Collins, Murray, Flack (Garvan 61), Santos (Manning 8), Kuqi, Knights (Guentchev 76), Craig (Boardley 53).