A stunning second half fight back from Southend United saw them come from two goals down against Hartlepool United to win a thrilling tie at Roots Hall 3-2.
Strikes from Adam Boyd and Andy Monkhouse put Hartlepool into the ascendancy, but the Blues started the comeback with two quick goals after the break to set the tone for the three points.
With 16 minutes to go, Barnard arrived to score his second goal of the match and 16th of the season to cap a dramatic finish to this League One contest.
Southend had a decent opening within five minutes to take the lead, with impressive work from Francis Laurent down the right wing allowing him to cut the ball back to Barnard, but he failed to get the needed connection to test goalkeeper Scott Flinders.
Yet within three minutes, Hartlepool took the lead in spectacular style. Southend failed to clear their lines on the edge of the box and Boyd made them pay when rifling a stunning volley beyond Steve Mildenhall.
Southend had plenty of possession as they looked to mount a response, with Franck Moussa and Alan McCormack both firing low shots wide of the right-hand post.
Hartlepool may have rarely threatened since scoring, but a huge slice of luck allowed them to double their lead in the 30th minute, as Monkhouse's shot took a heavy deflection off Anthony Grant and wrong footed Mildenhall to creep into the bottom corner of the net.
The first half petered out in the cold at Roots Hall, but there was still a great chance for Barnard to reduce the arrears.
Superb work down the right from Laurent again saw him square the ball to the striker, but Barnard couldn't keep his shot down and blazed over the frame of the goal.
Southend needed a strong start to the second half and that is exactly what they got, with Laurent pulling a goal back within just four minutes.
Scott Malone delivered a free kick from the left flank and Laurent rose quickest to head the ball past Flinders and in off the post, with the linesman signalling the ball had crossed the line.
The Blues clearly had the impetus they needed and after McCormack chased down a cross in the 56th minute, he delivered a low cross for Barnard to slot the ball into the net.
An excellent tackle from Adam Barrett stopped Richie Humphreys breaking through on goal and Peter Hartley's goalbound shot from a corner took a vital deflection to sail to safety.
There only looked one side likely to win the game though, with Southend constantly applying the pressure, and they got their reward when Damian Scannell produced a teasing cross from the right and Barnard arrived to head the ball beyond Flinders in the 74th minute.
A free kick from Boyd was parried by Mildenhall before the ball was cleared behind, but Hartlepool's chance of earning a draw looked over once substitute Ben Clark was sent off for picking up his second booking for a foul on McCormack.
Jabo Ibehre should have put the game beyond doubt and scored his first goal for the club in the process when he screwed a shot wide of the left-hand post with just Flinders to beat.
Ibehre then hit the crossbar from Malone's cross, but it didn't matter in the end, as Southend celebrated the victory to move up a place to 13th in the table.
Southend: Mildenhall, Christophe, Morrison, Barrett, Malone, Laurent (Scannell 61), Grant (Walker 70), McCormack, Moussa, Ibehre, Barnard.
Hartlepool: Flinders, Humphreys, Liddle, Collins, McSweeney (Fredriksen 78), Jones, Boys, Monkhouse (Clark 61), Sweeney, Bjornsson, Hartley.
