THEY STUMBLED LAST WEEK, losing to Northwich Victoria, and stuttered in the early moments on Saturday, falling behind to a close-range effort from Lewis Killeen, but goals from Ben Strevens, Simon King and Giuliano Grazioli helped Barnet to turn the point required to clinch the Nationwide Conference championship into a victory. Tears and champagne flowed on the final whistle as the club ended their four-year exile from the Football League.

It was fitting that Strevens settled the nerves of the majority of the 3,924 spectators crowded into Barnet’s dilapidated Underhill stadium, striking a powerful shot low past the despairing dive of Ian Dunbavin to restore parity ten minutes before the interval. Strevens is the only survivor from that fateful day four years ago, when Torquay United beat them on the final day of the season to consign the Hertfordshire club to relegation to the Conference.

“It was a great feeling, it meant so much to me to score that goal,” Strevens said. “It’s a lot better feeling in the dressing-room this afternoon than it was after losing to Torquay four years ago. I remember sitting down with the manager, John Still, and him saying that we would never be able to come back up into the League, with the ground problems and all the other restrictions being put on the club.”

Halifax Town, chasing a play-off spot, started strongly, perhaps spurred on by the huge “Champions” banner erected behind the North Terrace, and when Killeen was on hand to slot home after Scott Tynan could only parry Ryan Sugden’s effort, it was no more than they deserved. However, once Strevens equalised, Barnet began to play with the flair and authority that has hallmarked their campaign.

King sparked the festivities when he put Barnet in front three minutes after the break, heading in from close range after Liam Hatch had collected Dunbavin’s fumble and crossed for the defender to score his fourth goal of the season. The result was effectively settled when John Grant was sent off for a flailing elbow eight minutes after arriving as a second-half substitute, and when Grazioli collected his 28th league goal of the season, firing home a cross from Hatch, the party got into full swing.

“It’s hard to put into words how much we all wanted this and maybe we got a bit overeager,” Grazioli said. “The manager said to us to go out and enjoy ourselves and that everything would take care of itself. His methods are completely different to any manager that I’ve worked for. It’s usually ‘win at all costs’, but all he’s said is to go out and enjoy yourself and here we are as champions by quite a distance.”

Already 18 points clear, Barnet are on course to be the most dominant champions in Conference history, Yeovil’s 17-point margin two years ago their target. “We have three games to go and although it will be hard to concentrate, we have to try and win them and then everything will be geared towards planning for the Football League,” Strevens said. “This club deserves it, the chairman deserves it and we all deserve it for the hard work we have put in all season.”

Barnet (4-4-2): S Tynan — I Hendon, S King, I Yakubu, S Clist — B Strevens, D Lee, D Sinclair, R Graham — L Hatch, G Grazioli (sub: N Bailey, 84min). Substitutes not used: S Gore, A Charles, L Roache, D Batt. Booked: Hatch. NEXT: Morecambe (a). FORM: WLWWWW

Halifax Town (4-3-3): I Dunbavin — G Young, D Ingram, A Quinn, S Haslam — M Foster, S Bushell (sub: C Clarke, 68), J Blunt — L Killeen (sub: J Grant, 53), R Sugden (sub: D Mansaram, 53), C Midgley. Substitutes not used: H McStay, G Chin. Booked: Ingram, Bushell. Sent off: Grant. NEXT: Hereford United (h). FORM: LLWLDL

Referee: D Deadman

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