Barnet beat Eastleigh 1-0 to go five points clear at the top of the Conference, Sam Hoskins’ second goal for the club, just before the break, proving decisive.

With Halifax Town losing at home to Altrincham and Torquay United hosting Wrexham, the Bees’ win put a five-point buffer between themselves and the second-placed Shaymen.

Hoskins gave Barnet the lead eight minutes before half time with his second goal in two home matches since joining on loan from Yeovil Town.

Martin Allen made three changes to the side which drew 1-1 at Braintree Town in midweek, with Lee Cook, Luke Gambin and Mauro Vilhete all coming into the side. Sam Togwell, Sam Muggleton and Jon Nurse all dropped out for the Bees.

Graham Stack started in goal, with Andy Yiadom, David Stephens, Bondz N’Gala and Vilhete at the back.

In midfield, Luke Gambin, Curtis Weston, Elliot Johnson and Cook started. John Akinde and Hoskins led the line once more in Charlie MacDonald’s continued absence.

For Eastleigh, boss Richard Hill set his side out in a 4-2-3-1, with a plethora of injuries restricting the options available to him.

The Spitfires’ starting XI included no fewer than three former Bees: goalkeeper Ross Flitney and forwards Ben Strevens and Craig McAllister.

It was Barnet who made the brighter start, with Hoskins receiving a flick-on and cleverly evading Dean Beckwith before firing a half-volley against the base of the far post.

Former Bee McAllister could have put the visitors ahead after 17 minutes, cutting in from the right before seeing his cross-cum-cutback blocked by Barnet.

Gambin, making just his third league start of the season, was arguably unfortunate not to see a penalty awarded in his favour. The winger charged down the right and held off the attentions of his marker before seeing his cross skip up off the turf and hit the hand of an Eastleigh defender.

Spitfires’ full-back Michael Green was getting forward at every opportunity during the first half and brought a good save from Stack after half-an-hour with a driven effort. The ball fell to Strevens just inside the area, but he fired the rebound comfortably over.

Barnet took the lead in the 37th minute with the run of play. The ball reached Hoskins 20 yards from goal and the Glovers loanee cleverly made the space and steadied himself to shoot, before firing past Flitney with the aid of a significant deflection.

Cook tried his luck just before the break, bending a 20-yard effort into the grasp of Flitney from the centre of the ‘D’.

That brought the first half to a close, with the Bees deservedly in the lead, but undoubtedly with more in their locker.

The first chance of the second period went Barnet’s way; Akinde laying the ball off for Yiadom who drilled narrowly wide of Flitney’s far post on the run.

Eastleigh had struggled to get a foothold in the game after the re-start but almost forced an equaliser when McAllister earned a corner down the left. From the resulting set-play, midfielder Jamie Collins planted a gilt-edged header narrowly wide at the far post.

The Spitfires had seen significantly more of the ball than the Bees in the second period and their possession looked to have led to an equaliser with ten minutes remaining.

Substitute Yemi Odubade made progress down the right and his low centre hit McAllister and trickled in at the far post; however the Eastleigh celebrations were cut short by the linesman’s flag.

Five minutes later it was the turn of Barnet to have a goal ruled out for offside; Akinde collecting a place and firing beyond Flitney and into the top corner, only to see his effort chalked off.

Substitute Adam Mekki came agonizingly close to killing off the contest in the 89th minute, ghosting past two Eastleigh defenders and sending a stinging effort off the crossbar thanks to Flitney’s excellent block.

In injury time, Akinde burst through and looked for all the world set to final add the decisive second, only to see his thumping effort ricochet back off the crossbar.

With four minutes added on, the visitors pressed hard for an equaliser, going closest when N’Gala nodded a free-kick wide for a corner.

However, the Bees defended resolutely and held on to go five points clear at the top of the Conference.

Barnet: Stack; Yiadom, Stephens, N'Gala, Vilhete; Gambin (Mekki 61), Johnson, Weston (c), Cook (Togwell 85); Akinde, Hoskins (Pavey 70).

Subs: Saville, Togwell, Luisma.

Eastleigh: Flitney; Spence, Beckwith, Reid, Green; Todd (Fleetwood HT), Collins; Stanley, Reason, Strevens (Odubade 68); McAllister.

Subs: Evans, Weeks, Lee.

Attendance: 1,610 (139 away).

Referee: Mr L Swabey.