Following our 2-0 defeat against Peterborough United on Monday afternoon, Poya Asbaghi spoke of his frustration at being unable to convert chances into goals.
The Reds dominated in terms of opportunities created and registered 11 attempts on target but were unable to find a way past Posh stopper David Cornell.
“We knew we needed to win this game,” stated Asbaghi. “I’m really disappointed with the result. Even with a win, it would be difficult, but we needed to give ourselves a shot at least, and we didn’t.
“It’s even more frustrating when you look at the game and performance overall. I cannot complain too much – I have not seen us create as many chances as I have in all the games since I have been here.
“We had 20 shots – 11 shots on target – and we scored zero. They had four shots on goal and scored two. We were not efficient when we needed to be the most, Peterborough were. They handled the pressure in the situation of a must win, in finishing situations they were more calm than us and ended up winning.”
The odds are stacked against Barnsley now with the gap to safety at 11 points and just 12 available to play for.
So much so, that even victory at Huddersfield Town in the Yorkshire derby on Friday evening will not be enough if Reading secure three points against Hull City the following day.
However, Asbaghi is calling on his team to give their all, particularly for the supporters, who have stood by through thick and thin.
“It would be uphill even if we won [against Peterborough],” he continued. “To be honest, it’s been uphill for a while, but we owe it to everyone to fight – even if we are mathematically out, we still owe it to fight.
“We owe it to the fans to fight and show some passion until the last second of the season. We owe it as professional players, and that’s what we need to do.”
