Barnet 4 Ebbsfleet United 1 match report: Josh Wright loses first game as manager of National League bottom side
New Ebbsfleet boss Josh Wright saw the task ahead of him laid bare on Saturday after his side were ripped apart at high-flying Barnet.
Four goals in 23 first-half minutes confirmed the difference between joint-top and rock bottom as the visitors were sliced apart seemingly with every attack.
Wright made four changes from the side that lost at AFC Fylde on Tuesday night - including dropping himself so he could focus on managerial matters.
Keeper Mark Cousins replaced Dylan Berry between the sticks while Todd Kane, Louis John and Tom Dallison came in for Wright, Aaron Cosgrave and Anthony Stewart.
Wright opted for three at the back, albeit Barnet’s dominance meant it was more a back five in a one-sided contest.
Zak Brunt forced an eighth-minute save from Cousins but he was beaten just two minutes later when Danny Collinge’s right-wing cross was headed in by Nicke Kabamba.
Two minutes later, Kabamba beat the offside trap but his deflected right-foot shot was saved by Cousins.
Barnet made it 2-0 on 18 minutes when a right-wing cross was cleared only as far as Mark Shelton, whose stunning first-time right-foot 20-yarder gave Cousins no chance.
It was wave after wave of Barnet attack and Ryan Glover’s cross-shot flashed just wide of the upright.
A third goal inevitably arrived on 27 minutes as Barnet moved the ball from one side of the pitch to the other with little engagement. When Rhys Browne was found in the box, he had enough space to turn and arrow another unstoppable shot into the top corner.
A yellow card for skipper Toby Edser, who clattered into the back of Shelton showed Ebbsfleet’s frustrations. But it went from bad to worse on 33 minutes as a flowing Barnet move involving Brunt ended with Collinge pulling the ball