Dartford have not been relegated from the Conference just yet - but this Easter Monday defeat live on BT Sport all but confirmed their return to the sixth tier of English football

A first-half Curtis Weston goal handed the title-chasing Bees all three points in front of a bumper Princes Park crowd at lunchtime.

That left Dartford nine points from safety with three games to play ahead of the 3 o'clock kick-offs.

A point or more for 20th-placed Alfreton would have sent the Darts down but the Derbyshire outfit lost 2-0 at home to Grimsby, meaning Tony Burman's side still have a mathematical chance of survival.

But their fate is likely to be confirmed on Saturday when they entertain Liam Daish's Nuneaton.

Lee Noble returned for Dartford against Barnet after serving a two-match suspension, taking Peter Sweeney's place in midfield, although Elliot Bradbrook's ankle injury ruled him out again.

For the visitors, 31-goal striker John Akinde led the line with Michael Gash but there was no place in Martin Allen's squad for another former Ebbsfleet striker, Charlie MacDonald.

Barnet, backed by a large and loud travelling contingent, had the wind at their backs in the first period and Dartford barely got out of their half in the first 10 minutes.

Deren Ibrahim produced a fine reaction save to turn Akinde's close-range header over the bar and Connor Clifford then drove a shot wide from distance.

However, the home side came agonisingly close to taking the lead moments later. Ryan Hayes cut in from the right flank and his low curling shot across goalkeeper Graham Stack hit the far post, rolled across the line and then struck the other post as the Darts fans - and Hayes - looked on in disbelief.

Bondz N'Gala headed just wide from a Lee Cook corner at the other end and the next Cook corner almost drifted all the way in, with Dartford doing well to keep the ball out.

Clifford crashed a brilliant effort against the crossbar after Darts had failed to properly clear a monster throw-in from former Gills youngster Sam Muggleton.

The throws of Muggleton were giving Dartford some real issues and his next missile, from the right-hand side, was glanced wide by the head of Gash.

Cook drifted a free-kick just in front of Akinde and Gash but the visitors were about to strike.

With half an hour played, Stack's long punt up the field wasn't dealt with by the Darts defence and Weston swept a shot high beyond Ibrahim's left hand.

Hayes was Dartford's only real attacking threat and he laid on a great chance just before the interval. Hayes crossed left-footed from the right but Danny Harris, on the stretch, couldn't direct the ball on target.

Darts lost on-loan Cambridge striker Jordan Chiedozie to injury at the start of the second half and Cook had a header held by Ibrahim as Barnet pushed for a second goal.

The visitors kept Dartford penned back in their own half - as they had at the start of the game - and Gash headed over from a Sam Togwell throw.

Noble took a touch and volleyed over when Stack punched Hayes' right-wing corner clear of the penalty area but Barnet kept attacking relentlessly. Ibrahim did well to beat out a Luke Gambin shot at his near post after the Bees substitute had burst into the box.

Tom Bradbrook and Ebrima Adams were sent on for the final 10 minutes in a double substitution which represented Burman's final roll of the dice - both for the game and the season.

But the Darts wasted what little possession they did have and the game slipped away from them, with the home faithful defiantly singing "Tony Burman's black and white army" to the very end.

Dartford: Ibrahim, Driver (Adams 79mins), McAuley, Dallison, Richards, Hayes, Collier, Noble, Harris (T Bradbrook 79mins), Crawford, Chiedozie (Pugh 50mins). Subs not used: Daley, Kessell.

Barnet: Stack, Vilhete, Stephens, N'Gala, Muggleton (Togwell 58mins), Cook (Gambin 71mins), Weston, Clifford, Johnson, Akinde, Gash. Subs not used: Saville, Villa, Nurse.

Attendance: 1,579.