Heartbreak for the Bees at Gay Meadow

With no wins in 8 matches, Barnet appeared to be in real danger of slipping out of the play off places. However, Exeter city and Aldershot's poor form, plus a home win over Burton Albion and a draw at Northwich, meant that a win at home to Leigh RMI would be enough to clinch a play off place and the Bees won the game 2-1 to book a play off semi final with Shrewsbury Town.

The two sides met for the first leg at Underhill in late April and Barnet were awarded a penalty after 12 minutes when Shrewsbury keeper Scott Howie, pulled Liam hatch down in the penalty area after the Barnet striker had gone round him. With Ian Hendon and Guiliano Grazioli having both missed penalties in important games, Ben Strevens strode up to take the penalty and coolly sent Howie the wrong way to put the Bees 1-0 up.

However, the away side took control after that and Barnet were under a great deal of pressure. Sam Aiston hit the post and Shane Gore saved from Tolley before with just 3 minutes remaining before half time a Sam Aiston shot hit the hand of Joe Gamble and the Bees, unluckily, conceded a penalty. Luke Rodgers slammed the ball down the middle to make the score 1-1 at half time.

In the second half, Barnet were the dominant, hungrier side and came close to scoring when Howie badly punched a cross and Strevens rolled the ball across the penalty area for Liam Hatch but he couldn't take advantage. The match looked to be heading for a draw when deep into injury time, an Ismail Yakubu cross was headed in at the near post by substitute, Simon Clist for only his second goal for the club.

The Barnet team that night was; Gore; Hendon, Plummer, Maddix, King; Yakubu, Lopez (Clist 66), Gamble, Strevens; Hatch, Grazioli.

So Barnet travelled the following Monday up to Gay Meadow with a 2-1 home win behind them, hoping to be able to hang on to their slim lead and gain a place in the play off final. The second leg was a very closely fought match with little between the two sides, though the home side had the better of the first half. Gore saved well from a thumping Duane Darby drive and then again from Rodgers. This time the ball fell to Darby whose effort was cleared off the line by Ian Hendon. Then, calamity struck for the Bees as Liam Hatch was adjudged to have handled Tolley's cross and a penalty was awarded, Luke Rodgers making no mistake from the spot to put the home side 1-0 up at half time and the tie level 2-2 on aggregate.

Barnet had their best chance of the second half after just seven minutes, when Grazioli played Hatch through but Howie saved his shot with his legs. Barnet got stronger as the game wore on but could not turn their dominance into a goal and it was the home side who nearly won the tie with Shane Gore having to produce a stunning save to deny Lowe. In the end it was down to a penalty shoot out with Strevens, Grazioli and Yakubu all scoring for the Bees, but Shrewsbury scored all their first four penalties and when Howie saved Simon Clist's penalty, Darren Moss steeped up to win the tie for the home side and break the Barnet players and supporters' hearts.

Shrewsbury went on to defeat Aldershot in the play off final and returned to the football league after just one season in the Conference. For the Bees, they would have to wait another 12 months before winning the Conference and returning to the league themselves.