Ahead of this weekend’s clash with Brentford, Barnsley Head Coach José Morais is looking for a positive reaction from his players following Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.
Trailing 2-0 at the interval, the Reds came out fighting but were unable to find a way back into the contest before Forest scored a third late on to kill off any hopes of a revival.
“They are in a different moment of their season in terms of less pressure,” said Morais. “I think Nottingham Forest were better than us on the night, they had better quality and scored in key moments.
“We are in a different moment; the players want it - they reacted, especially in the second half, it was more the attitude we needed.
“Everyone has to have responsibility and the ability to respond. The game is about being in the right moment when you’re at your best, and I believe our players are giving everything they can.”
Jack Walton made his Barnsley debut at the City Ground and was on hand to pull off a number of fine saves in an impressive display from the academy graduate.
The young goalkeeper has been on loan at EvoStik Premier Division outfit Stalybridge Celtic this season and was unfazed by playing in front of more than 22,000 people.
“He did well and has been competing for his place,” praised Morais. “I believe in his quality and the team believes in his quality, and I think he did well. I was expecting him to do well and I am confident that he can do better.”
Saturday is a big game for both teams for entirely different reasons. Barnsley need a result to keep their Championship survival hopes alive, while Brentford still harbour ambitions of reaching the play-offs.
The Bees are currently three points behind sixth place Derby County with two games remaining, and victory at Oakwell will boost their dreams of promotion to the Premier League.
Burton Albion also host Bolton Wanderers in a fixture that could have a huge say in the relegation battle, but the Reds’ Head Coach is adamant that he will not be concentrating on results elsewhere during the game.
“I want to know what we are capable of doing during our game first and then, at the end, we will see the results of others because we can only control what we can do,” continued Morais.
“As long as we win then we can think about other results. We have to perform to the best we can in order to win games.
“It’s a big game for both teams, they also have pressure to win the game.”
You can watch José's full press conference on our iFollow channel.
