Barnet will play host to an ambitious Eastleigh side on Saturday, who list no fewer than five former Bees in their squad.

Currently in their maiden season at this level after winning the Conference South title earlier this year, Eastleigh were heavily tipped as one of the favourites for promotion again, such was the calibre of their summer additions and the level of investment made by the club’s owners.

Purchased in 2011 by Bridle Insurance Limited – then the primary sponsors of Oxford United – the club’s new owners stated their ambition was to reach the Football League within five years.

After losing out in the play-offs in 2013, the Spitfires went one better in April of this year, sealing the league title with a 2-1 win over Basingstoke Town.

Current Spitfires Jack Midson, Craig McAllister, Ben Wright and Ross Flitney all plied their trade at Underhill – with goalkeeper Flitney the only player not signed on loan.

However, by far the most notable is striker Ben Strevens.

Now 34, Strevens scored six times during the Bees’ 2004/05 Conference title-winning season and hit another five goals the following year as Paul Fairclough’s side made their return to the Football League.

After netting 43 league goals in 160 league starts in black and amber, the Edgware-born forward moved to Crawley Town, before taking in spells at Dagenham & Redbridge (twice), Brentford, Wycombe Wanderers and Gillingham.

The former Bee is one of a number of striking options available to Eastleigh manager Richard Hill – though the former Stevenage Borough boss is in the midst of an ever-increasing injury crisis at The Silverlake Stadium.

Former Oxford United frontman James Constable was the club’s most high-profile summer acquisition; the 29-year-old leaving the League 2 outfit after getting within one goal of becoming the U's all-time leading goalscorer.

Constable had previously been subject of several bids from Oxford’s rivals, Swindon Town, when Italian Paolo Di Canio was in charge of the Robins, but remained loyal to the U’s.

Signed from Kidderminster Harriers in 2008 – initially on loan – Constable went on to make 274 appearances and score 104 goals for Oxford before opting to leave for pastures new in the summer.

Thirty-one-year-old Midson was loaned to the Bees by Oxford in the final weeks of the 2010/11 season and made five League 2 outings for the club without scoring.

The Stevenage-born forward has never been prolific, but was the League 2 joint-top scorer in 2011/12 with Wimbledon, after netting 18 times – a figure matched by Barnet’s Izale McLeod, Adebayo Akinfenwa and Lewis Grabban.

After helping Oxford back into the Football League in 2010 by winning the Conference play-offs, Midson joined Wimbledon in 2011 and scored 38 times in 100 league starts for the Dons during a three-year stay with the south Londoners.

The 6ft 2in forward has already netted three times in 13 starts for the Spitfires.

At the back, defender Paul Reid joined from League 2 outfit Northampton Town on a free transfer and brings with him a wealth of experience, following a long career in the Football League.

The 32-year-old centre-back has turned out for the likes of Barnsley, Scunthorpe United and Colchester United, notching up more than 300 league appearances before joining the Hampshire outfit.

A one-time England Under-19 international, Reid has also won promotion from League 1 with the Tykes in 2006.

Likely Eastleigh XI: Flitney; Green, Collins, Beckwith, Stanley, Reason, McAllister, Midson, Strevens, Evans, Reid.