Sat in Martin Allen's office on Sunday evening following Barnet's 2-2 draw with Dover Athletic, I asked if the fact the Bees would begin the new year with just 18 Conference fixtures left to play had any significance.

In typical fashion, Allen shot me down, laughed and proceeded to explain his side were embroiled in an Olympic Marathon of a season and were still some way from the finish line.

He mused: "This is a ten-month competition and if you want an analogy with a race, you have only got to look at the Olympic marathon. I think they run for about 24 miles outside; up and down hills, twists and turns and then for the last bit they see the stadium where I think they have to do two laps inside the stadium to get the applause.

"We are still on the ups and downs and we can’t even see the stadium - we are nowhere near it. There is such a long way to go and we are nowhere near the stadium.

"The hard graft of round the corners, ups and downs, twists and turns, there is still so much work to be done until we actually see the stadium.

"And when I can see the stadium I will tell you," he smiled.

Allen can deny that the Bees are in good position all he wants, and whilst he sticks rigidly to that line I find it hard to believe they will blow this position Besides, recent history is on Barnet's side.

Six of the last ten Conference winners have been top of the pile on New Year's Day, including last year's winners Luton Town. Prior to that, only Mansfield, Fleetwood, Crawley and Stevenage (the consecutive winners from 2010-2013) of the previous ten winners have not been top at the turn of the year.

Between 2005 (Barnet's last title triumph - as if you could forget) and 2009, each of the five winners were top on New Year's Day. Indeed, of those last ten winners, only Mansfield Town in 2013 were outside of the top five before going on a frightening run of form to snatch the title.

Owing to the scheduling this season more games have been played prior to the new year than in any of the preceding ten seasons, but it is worth pointing out that in seven of the last ten seasons, the leaders on New Year's Day have played a minimum of 24 games - just four less than Barnet.

The 2012/13 campaign saw Grimsby Town top of the pile on New Year's Day having played the same number of games as Barnet have this term (28) but with seven less points. The Mariners of course fell away, with tenth-placed Mansfield Town prevailing instead.

So to the good news. Barnet currently hold a seven-point lead over second-placed Bristol Rovers, the third-largest lead any of the last ten leaders on January 1 have enjoyed over their nearest competitor. Incidentally, the largest lead of the past decade belongs to the Bees, who boasted an 11-point cushion over Carlisle United before going on to lift the title in 2005.

Burton Albion were ten points clear when they won promotion in 2009, but the average points difference between the side leading the charge and their nearest rival is four (3.9) points.