Dale Tonge believes that results over the Easter weekend have put Barnsley in a strong position in the race for promotion from Sky Bet League One.
The Reds recorded a hard-fought victory over Shrewsbury Town on Friday, before following that up with a stunning performance at Plymouth Argyle on Monday.
“I think, with results elsewhere it was a good weekend,” said Tonge. “But we had to focus on ourselves and got the six points that we needed; they were two good performances as well – particularly Plymouth away and we’re really happy with Easter.
“Momentum is the main thing. We knew, whether automatic or play-offs, if we had momentum and won the last three or four games, that it’d put us in good stead.”
If Barnsley avoid defeat against Blackpool on Saturday, they will have negotiated the campaign unbeaten at home – a fantastic achievement given the calibre of teams in League One.
There have been key moments over the course of the season; notably coming from behind to claim points against promotion rivals Doncaster Rovers and Portsmouth, while also turning the Rochdale game on its head.
“It’s something that has been eluded to quite often, but something that we’ve not paid much attention to,” admitted Tonge. “I know a lot of people have mentioned it this week that we could go a full season unbeaten at home, so it’s an added incentive but the main focus is three points and putting on a performance in front of our fans.”
Safe from relegation and unable to make the top six, Blackpool head to Oakwell as one of the few teams in the division with nothing to play for.
Terry McPhillips’ side secured a 2-1 derby victory over Fleetwood Town on Monday courtesy of Nathan Delfouneso’s dramatic late goal at Bloomfield Road. However, despite winning just four of their last 15 games, Tonge insists the Seasiders must not be underestimated this weekend.
“If you look at their results against the top six, they’ve got some decent results in there – they’re really hard to beat,” asserted the Reds’ Assistant. “They’re a dangerous team on the counter and they can come here and play without stress, and we’re expecting a tough game on Saturday.”
You can watch Dale’s full press conference on iFollow Barnsley.
