Reds Head Coach, Gerhard Struber says his team are taking steps in the right direction following the 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday but was disappointed not to come away with all three points.
Sheffield Wednesday took an early lead in the South Yorkshire derby as Josh Windass slotted past Brad Collins 16 minutes in, but the Reds hit back less than ten minutes later when talisman Cauley Woodrow picked up possession over 30-yards out and fired into the empty net.
Barnsley battled away for the majority of the second half and had further chances to go on and win the game, but Wednesday held out well defensively to salvage a draw.
Speaking after the match, Struber said: “It was tough. I thought the engagement and the energy from my team was very good.
“We created a high intensity game especially in the second half. Every single player gave what they could and that was the aim. We wanted to show the Barnsley fans a good performance and I’m happy we did that.
“However, in our situation, one point is not enough, and this is the disappointing reality. It is not easy. We played well. We had the momentum and we worked hard. In set plays, we had big focus and concentration. The goal from the opponent was so lucky, but we never gave up after the goal. I think this was a good next step for the boys especially in the mentality. I hope we can bring home the points we need in the next game.”
The Head Coach also had high praise for substitutes Callum Styles and Mike Bähre who came on and made an impact from the bench.
Styles had a penalty shout waved away with five minutes to go after he appeared to have been barged to the ground by a Sheffield Wednesday defender, but the referee didn’t agree and the game continued.
Bähre’s introduction saw the Reds become more attack minded, as they looked to break down the Wednesday defence.
However, the points were shared at Oakwell, and Barnsley’s wait for a win against the Owls goes on.
Speaking about the impact of his substitutes, Struber added: “It is very important that we have a great squad. Callum [Styles], he came on and played very well. He won every duel in the offence and worked very hard in defence and this is what I like to see.
“I am also very happy with Mike [Bähre], he gave the team a good balance, made the right decisions in attack and brought a good style to the game. However, in the end, we have one point, and this is the reality in our difficult situation.”
That result moves the Reds onto 25 points, but with no win in their last five matches, Struber says his side need to remain focused and work hard in the coming days to turn that one point into three against Birmingham City on Tuesday night.
The Austrian went on to say: “We have to work, and this is our responsibility in every game. We have to work hard and then we know we can pick up points. In the last few days, we spent a lot of time speaking about set plays. This was a big issue in the last few games and I thought we made a good step in the right direction with this.
“We had good focus and attitude. The whole team played very well, and this is what we need to pick up points. Today is one point, but the performance gave me good feeling for the coming games.”
