Barnet are champions (From Times Series)

Barnet are champions

7:02pm Saturday 9th April 2005 in

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Barnet 3 Halifax Town 1 . . .

There were scenes of celebration at Underhill this afternoon as Barnet secured the Conference title and their place back in the Football League.

The Bees came from behind to end their four-year absence from the fourth tier of British football.

Manager Paul Fairclough, swamped by media after the game, was full of praise for his conquering players.

He said: “These players have created a little bit of history and no one can take that away from them. Winning the championship makes them immortal.

“At the moment I still can’t believe it. I don’t think I’ll believe it until we play our first fixture next season.” He added that it had also been a personal triumph for himself, as he had always dreamed of becoming a Football League manager, something that was cruelly denied him nine years ago when he won the title with Stevenage.

“It has been a lifelong ambition. I was not a great footballer. The next best thing was trying to become a successful manager.” And Ben Strevens, the only current player in the Barnet side that suffered relegation four years ago, said he was thrilled to think he would be playing in the Football League again.

“It’s a lot better feeling in the dressing room today than on that day four years ago.

“People don’t really know how much the boys wanted this.” Barnet went into the game needing just a point to lift the title, but went a goal down after just ten minutes when Scott Tynan could only push a Ryan Sugden drive into the path of Lewis Killeen.

But gradually the Bees overcame their nerves and started to look more like champions.

The equaliser came ten minutes before the interval when Giuliano Grazioli expertly flicked the ball into the path of Strevens and he coolly steered it past the keeper from ten yards.

Barnet got the perfect start to the second half. Just three minutes had gone when Ian Dunbavin spilled a Richard Graham free-kick. Liam Hatch worked it away from a crowd of defenders and crossed for Simon King to find the net with a diving header.

Halifax sub John Grant was red-carded for elbowing King just after the hour to put the Bees into cruise control.

And the title was wrapped up on 77 minutes when Hatch crossed deep for Grazioli to fire under Dunbavin for his 28th goal of the season.

It was party time and Fairclough even left the dug-out in injury time to move to the stand in order to congratulate chairman Tony Kleanthous.

A huge banner declaring Barnet champions was also unfurled before the final whistle finally sparked the biggest cheer of the afternoon.

Barnet are back in the Football League!

BARNET (4-4-2): Tynan; Hendon, King, Yakubu, Clist; Strevens, Lee, Sinclair, Graham; Grazioli (Bailey 83), Hatch. Subs not used: Gore, Charles, Roache, Batt.

Attendance: 3,924.

Best Bee: Ian Hendon.