Barnsley began their pre-season preparations with a 2-0 victory over Gainsborough Trinity on Saturday afternoon.
Two first half goals from Tom Bradshaw were enough for Daniel Stendel’s side to overcome their Northern Premier Division counterparts, with the German Head Coach utilising the majority of his squad at the Martin & Co Arena.
Reds striker Kieffer Moore featured in the second half and, although he wasn’t able to add to the goal tally, the 25-year-old insists getting match sharp is the most important aspect of Saturday’s run out.
“It was good, I enjoyed it and I’m sure all the lads enjoyed it too,” said Moore. “The main thing is fitness at this point and it’s also good that we won the game, and we showed the fans some good football as well. But it all comes down to getting as fit as we possibly can.”
Moore, who joined the Club in January, scored four goals last season and has pedigree in League One having bagged 13 goals in 22 appearances for Rotherham United during a loan spell.
The 6’5 forward was named as captain after the interval against Gainsborough and would take the opportunity with open arms to lead the team on a permanent basis.
“Personally I would relish it,” admitted Moore “I’ve always classed myself as a leader on the pitch, so I was very grateful to be named captain for the second half and I really enjoyed it. I had a little look around and thought ‘I am one of the oldest here’.
“I want to help everyone I can, it’s just about sharing your experience how you can and, with the squad we’ve got, we’ve got some very young players in there.”
Up next for the Reds on their pre-season schedule is a trip to Bootham Crescent to face National League North side York City on Tuesday evening.
Confidence is flowing through the camp and Moore believes Stendel is the man to take credit for the team’s renewed self-belief.
“It’s been really good; his English has improved a lot since he’s come in,” continued the striker. “I think the whole place, itself, has lifted; there’s a positive attitude around them, a positive aura and you can see that everyone is coming in with a smile on their face in the morning. It’s a good atmosphere to be in.
“Last season was disappointing, but we know what we have to do and how we’re going to turn things around, how we’re going to go about that and get the promotion that we want. I don’t think anyone at the Club doesn’t want the same objective as the players, so we’ve got the whole Club behind us to get promotion.
"A lot of us have played in League One, particularly myself. I didn’t expect to be back in League One so soon, but it is what it is and the only people who can make a difference is ourselves. We need to get back to the Championship.”
