Barnet FC have exercised their option to keep 15-goal top scorer Adam Birchall for the coming season.

The 23-year-old former Arsenal youngster played 40 games in the last campaign, plus eight appearances as a substitute.

The club have also taken up their option on another first team regular, 26-year-old Neal Bishop, who was "reluctantly" put on the transfer list in the closing weeks of the season after indicating to manager Paul Fairclough that he wanted to leave to "check his options".

Bishop played 47 games in his first season as a Football League player after signing from York City. He was carried off with a knee ligament problem at Accrington Stanley last month after scoring his second goal for the Bees.

A third player to have his option exercised is 22-year-old Ashley Carew, who finished the season playing well at right back. Carew, also in his first-ever season as a Football League player, made 24 starts and 14 substitute appearances.

Dennis Signy