Graham Stack stresses Barnet must not think about what Conference title rivals Bristol Rovers are doing on Saturday as victory over Gateshead will ensure the Bees are crowned champions regardless.

The permutations are simple. Win and Barnet will clinch the Conference title for a third time regardless of what second-placed Rovers do at home to relegation-threatened Alfreton Town.

However, as long as the Bees match the Gas’ result they will return to the Football League after two seasons away.

And player-coach Stack knows that although the requirements are simple, minds will inevitably drift to the Memorial Ground and Rovers’ tussle with Alfreton.

He stated: “We will be thinking ‘how are they getting on – are they drawing?’ A draw and a draw and we win the league. But we can’t have that; it can’t be in our mindset. Our mindset has to be to win the game 3-0 and that is it, job done. Forget what they are doing, let them go and win five or six nil, it does not matter.

“We will go and win the game, be positive, start well, fly out the traps, have a good performance and I believe as well as every single player and member of staff in this squad, we will be champions.”

Stack has already won a title in his career as part of the Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ team of 2003/04 and looking ahead to Saturday’s showdown with tenth-placed Gateshead, said: “The fact it is still in our hands means a hell of a lot to us. We know now what we have got to do. If we win on Saturday we will be champions, so I am very relieved.

“To be the best over 46 games speaks volumes for any player and any team.

“It is not easy but we have coped with it and dealt with pretty much everything. We have been up against it and we will be on Saturday. Gateshead are a good side and not having anything to play for can be a good thing for a side because they are under no pressure and the pressure is all on us.

“But guess what? Ninety minutes away from being champions. If you had offered us that at the beginning of the season we would have taken it with both hands and that is the position we are in, so let’s just go and do it.”

At one stage on Saturday it looked like the Bees would have to come from second place to lift the title after falling behind to Kidderminster Harriers.

And when news of a Bristol Rovers’ goal at Dover Athletic came through, Barnet had been deposed at the summit.

However, substitute Luisma Villa wrote his name in Barnet folklore with a well-taken goal before Ricky Modeste ensured cult status with an 88th-minute leveller for Dover to knock Rovers off top spot once more.

It all means Barnet will be crowned Conference champions as long as they beat the Heed, who could be managerless after boss Gary Mills was given permission to speak to Wrexham about their vacancy.

Stack said: “I would rather have won it today (Saturday) without doubt. But we haven’t done, so we need to go and prepare properly and get our heads right and get the job done. It is not just going to happen; we need to make it happen. We have got away with it slightly today but we need to forget what everyone else is doing.

“We as players need to go and win the game. So we need to find a way of doing that and I am sure we will. We are capable and we have done it for the majority of the season.

“We are confident at home against anyone and we will go into the second half buoyant after that second-half performance."