Alex Mowatt is eagerly anticipating the visit of Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.
The Reds’ midfielder, who put pen to paper on a new deal this week, has featured in every Sky Bet League One game so far this season and is relishing the prospect of claiming local bragging rights.
“Derby games are always the best games, personally, so I look forward to it and I’m sure all the boys will, too,” insisted Mowatt. “The fans really look forward to them as well, so everyone is up for it and they’re normally entertaining games, too.
“I always look for that fixture when they come out just because I was born and live in Doncaster, so I always look forward to that game. Not many of my mates are Doncaster fans, but I know quite a few so I imagine I’ll get a bit of stick if we lose.”
Barnsley head into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 victory at high-flying Accrington Stanley last weekend.
It was the sixth straight win in all competitions for Daniel Stendel’s side and a third consecutive clean sheet in the league.
There were more than 2,000 Reds fans in attendance at the Wham Stadium and Mowatt is keen for the supporters to continue their fantastic backing when Rovers are in town.
“The fans were unbelievable at the weekend; it felt like a home game,” continued the 23-year-old. “The fans helped us when we went down to ten men as well, so hopefully it’ll be the same again on Saturday.”
Unbeaten at Oakwell since March, confidence in the changing room is understandably high amongst the players at the moment.
Another three points on Saturday could see Barnsley leapfrog Sunderland, depending on how the Black Cats fare at Walsall, to give Stendel’s side some real momentum heading into a crucial stage of the campaign.
“Everyone is really confident going into every game,” asserted Mowatt. “Even when the team changes – like the boys who played in the Checkatrade Trophy against Bradford – we did really well.
“So there’s lots of fighting for positions and training is really intense every day to play, and there’s a real buzz around the place.
“It’s a run of three tough games. Obviously, we’ve got the win at Accrington and, hopefully, we can get a win against Doncaster and go to Sunderland and get a win there. After Sunderland, that will show us where we’re at.”
You can watch Alex’s full press conference on iFollow Barnsley.