Dean Brennan has steered Barnet back to the EFL after hammering Aldershot
Barnet have been promoted back to League Two after seven seasons of non-league football following a comfortable 4-0 win over Aldershot Town.
The Bees' victory secured the National League title with a game to spare and they will try to break the 100-point barrier at Fylde on the final day of the season.
Two first-half penalties from Mark Shelton put the hosts in control at The Hive, before two goals in four minutes from Callum Stead after the break got the promotion party in full swing.
Dean Brennan's side secured automatic promotion after play-off heartbreak denied them following fifth and second-placed finishes in the previous two seasons.
They have led the way at the top of the table for much of the season, pulling away from nearest contenders York City and Forest Green Rovers.
A run of nine consecutive wins from February to March opened up a commanding lead at the top for Brennan's side, who have only lost once in the league in 2025.
Bees banish heartbreak of last season
It's been a long way back to the EFL for Barnet since their relegation from League Two in 2018.
The Bees ended a miserable season on a high that day with a 3-0 win over Chesterfield but the worst was yet to come for the north London club.
Underwhelming mid-table finishes in their first two seasons back in non-league were followed by their lowest finish since the formation of the National League [initially the Alliance Premier Football League and then the Football Conference] in 1979.
The disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic was all that saved the Bees from dropping down to the National League South in 2020-21 as they finished second from bottom in the table.
But things would improve from there on as Brennan arrived at the club and he has since overseen steady progress – 18th, fifth, second and now league winners.
Twice denied at home in the play-offs in the previous two seasons, first against Boreham Wood and then surprisingly on the end of a 4-0 thrashing to Solihull Moors, Barnet's fans will not need to endure the stress, and potential disappointment, of another post-season campaign as they go up as champions.
