Following our hard-fought 0-0 draw with promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion on Friday night, Jordan Williams believes he and his teammates showed character to grind out a point.
The visitors were denied by the woodwork and saw a further three efforts cleared off the line as Barnsley held firm to claim a share of the spoils.
“We rode the storm at times,” admitted Williams. “I think they came here with a game plan to be very aggressive, direct, set-pieces, and I think we’ve dealt well with it – we cleared a few off the line, but we rode the storm.
“We’ve done well to get a point and I think it’s a good point against a very good team.
“It’s always hard to deal with long balls and physical teams – we’re not the most physical of teams – but we’ve all stood up to a man, dug deep, and it showed.”
The Reds demonstrated how resolute they can be, keeping a second clean sheet in five games under Poya Asbaghi compared to just two in the 18 Sky Bet Championship outings prior to his arrival.
While Williams is pleased with this renewed solidity at the back, he is looking for more from his side in advanced positions if the Reds are to start climbing the table.
“We need to stay compact defensively and work hard as a team, and we showed that,” continued the full-back. “It’s a very good framework for us to build on.
“Attacking-wise, I think we could have been a bit better in spells, but we showed at times that we can play – it’s just the belief now to be more patient on the ball and not rush attacks with the high press.
“I think they did well, pressing-wise, but on the other hand we can be better.”
You can watch Jordan’s post-match interview on iFollow Barnsley.