Phil Parkinson insisted there were no confidence issues in the Altrincham camp after they suffered a second heartbreaking stoppage-time defeat of the season at Barnet on Tuesday night.

After being undone by an added-time goal at Forest Green Rovers a fortnight earlier, the Robins again saw a point slip away at the death as Barnet sealed a 2-1 win with a last-gasp header from a long throw into the area.

Justin Amaluzor gave Alty the lead with his first goal of the season early on, and though Barnet equalised soon after, keeper Ethan Ross looked to have safeguarded a point with a wonder save from a close-range shot in the 71st minute.

It was not to be, but Parkinson dismissed any suggestion another late hammer blow might begin to impact on self-belief, as the Robins prepared to head south again this Saturday to take on Yeovil Town.

“When you lose in the dying moments, like we have at Forest Green and now Barnet, it is difficult to take,” said the Alty boss, who handed a full debut to midfielder Liam Humbles after signing him from Salford City on a one-month loan.

“But we are an evolving team, learning all the time, and, tough as it is when this happens to you, these players know what it takes to get over the line. The goal that won it for Barnet was a lapse in concentration, nothing more.

“But we’ve got to make sure we do get over the line in these tight games. We were up against a really good Barnet side who have been beating teams comfortably, but we made life uncomfortable for them and so nearly got our rewards for that. Unfortunately, nearly isn’t quite cutting it at the moment.

“I’m delighted to have Liam with us, and I thought it was the perfect game for him, fast and furious. He was superb, with so much energy and quality. He acquitted himself brilliantly.

“Now, we need to get something from Yeovil, but we will go into that with the same positive approach we showed at Barnet.”