Player-coach Graham Stack insists Barnet still believe they are the best team in the Conference and hopes the Bees have come through their sticky patch.

Barnet returned to winning ways on Saturday, beating Altrincham 3-1 at Moss Lane to claim their first victory in three and keep the heat on leaders Bristol Rovers, who sit two points ahead of Martin Allen’s men.

Back-to-back defeats against Grimsby Town and Wrexham saw the Bees toppled after leading the division since August 30 but Stack remains bullish about Barnet’s chances of sealing a return to the Football League at the second time of asking.

He said: “Most teams have seen us up until now as the best team in the league. We still believe we are, [regardless of] whether or not there are people outside of this club who are starting to think maybe we are not.

“On our day there is not a team in this league who are better than us.

“I think everyone has a bad run at some stage. We would like to think we have had a sticky patch and we are now out the other side having gone away from home and got a good result. There is still a great deal of belief at the club that we can go through on another run until the end of the season.”

The 33-year-old gloveman added: “It just goes to show how well we did earlier on in the season to accumulate so many points and to put ourselves in such a good position. Now we find ourselves in second place and Bristol Rovers are top. But with big clubs and big support comes big pressure, so it will be interesting to see how they deal with that.”

John Akinde put the Bees ahead from the penalty spot at Altrincham after defender Tom Marshall brought him down – earning a red card in the process.

Michael Gash doubled the lead when he touched home a Luisma Villa free kick and the hosts squandered the chance to halve the deficit from the penalty spot before half time.

Damian Reeves did get one back for the Robins after the break but a Gash header sealed all three points.

Reflecting on the win, Stack acknowledged it had been a case of substance over style.

“It was a case of getting the job done away from home,” he said. “The performance was probably not the priority – it was just about getting the job done. We knew if we went there and approached the game in the right way, we knew with the quality we have within the group, we should win the game.”

Stack almost missed the clash after injuring his arm in a freak accident prior to kick off but despite referee Martin McCoy giving back-up goalkeeper Sam Cowler permission to take his place, Stack took the field.

He explained: “I had just come in from my warm up and there was a step on the way into the changing room and I just caught my studs on the step. As I went to grab the handle I just missed it and it went into my forearm.

“I thought it was in my Under Armour at the time. I was on my knee being held up by my forearm and as I went to take my arm away I realised the handle was lodged in my forearm.

“The club doctor cleaned and assessed me and strapped it up and I got it stitched after the game. I think the adrenalin helped me because I did not have long to think about it as we were about to go and play,” he added.

Barnet are at home to fifth-placed Forest Green Rovers on Saturday.