Tomorrow night, The Bees travel to play Shrewsbury Town in a League Two match. The season before Barnet were promoted, in 2003-04, the two sides were both in the Nationwide Conference, Shrewsbury having suffered relegation from the league, the season before.

In fact the two clubs were to meet four times that season. The first time was in September 2003 with both teams going well and both placed in a play off position. Barnet were in the middle of a run which was to get them 23 points in 9 matches and the team's performance that day was one of the highlights of the season.

It was an exciting match and the first half had everything except goals with Shrewsbury winger Sam Aiston seeing a goalbound effort headed clear by Chris Plummer as early as the 8^th minute. After surviving an early onslaught from Town and particularly fiery striker, Luke Rodgers, Barnet settled down and Guiliano Grazioli nearly scored after a Peter Beadle flick on.

Beadle himself went desperately close before half time when he saw his header from Mark Williams' cross hit the inside of the post and bounce into a grateful, Scott Howie's arms.

Barnet finally went ahead in the second half with Grazioli's 12^th goal of the campaign. A long Simon king clearance was headed on by Ismail Yakabu and Grazioli ran onto it, drew Howie and curled it into the net to put the Bees 1-0 up. Despite a frantic last few minutes, the Bees held on to win their fourth match in a row.

The Barnet side that day was: Forde; Rooney (Hendon 18), Maddix, Plummer, Yakubu; Williams (King 45), Gamble, Lopez, Strevens: Grazioli, Beadle.

By the time the two sides met at Underhill at the end of March, the race was really on for the play offs with both sides still in the play off zone. Chester looked more or less certain champions and Hereford, Aldershot, Barnet, Shrewsbury, Exeter and Morecambe were the main contenders for the play offs and the other promotion spot.

The match itself was a disappointment for the Bees. Influential midfield player, Joe Gamble was missing through injury as was Guy Lopez, while the supposed transfer of Des Hamilton from Grimsby Town never really happened. As well as this Martin Allen had only recently resigned as manager to take over at Brentford. England non-league manager Paul Fairclough had come in as caretaker to the end of the season.

With a central midfield pairing of Ben Strevens and Ismail Yakubu, the side had an unbalanced look and in a game of few chances, the visitors scored the only goal of the game when Ian Hendon lost possession to Jody Banim and though his shot was well saved by Barnet keeper, Shane Gore, the ball spun upwards and was bundled over the line by Duane Darby to give Shrewsbury the 3 points. The defeat meant that Barnet dropped out of the play off zone for the first time in months and things looked bleak for the Bees who found themselves in the middle of a poor run and without a win in six matches. This was extended to eight with a home draw to Scarborough and defeat at Hereford.

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.

The Bees 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.