In his first game in the dugout at Oakwell, Neill Collins oversaw his side secure a 2-1 win against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday afternoon.
The final pre-season fixture before the start of the 23/24 campaign saw James Norwood give the Reds the lead inside ten minutes, followed by a second-half header from Kacper Łopata.
Our visitors did manage to pull one back via Shilow Tracey on 70 minutes, but a young Reds outfit managed to see out the result on a sunny afternoon in South Yorkshire.
Despite the win coming in a pre-season fixture where three points are not awarded, our Head Coach was content with the overall result heading into the curtain raiser on Saturday 5 August at Oakwell.
"There's no question, winning makes everyone feel better," began the Scotsman. "Most of all the fans, but also the players and particularly myself. You always feel a bit more comfortable after a win. I think for me, the biggest thing was the performance.
"Lots of things to improve, but lots of bright signs."
"It was a winning performance, it could have been more comfortable, I think that was the only kind of negative. When you play as dominantly as that, you've got to make sure it feels as comfortable right to the end. We just left it a little bit in the balance, but, it's pre-season. No points were given out today, the most important thing for me today was a good, positive performance.
"Lots of things to improve, but lots of bright signs."
The game took place on what was our 2023 Open Day, with fans invited to come down to Oakwell prior to kick-off to take part in activities and entertainment for all the family at the home of the Reds.
Collins' first experience of meeting the home crowd has only just made him more eager to get going next week against Port Vale.
"The stadium is in fantastic condition," he praised. "The field is in an unbelievable condition, it's looking great, it was ready. It's ready for the season next week. The fans are ready.
"I can't wait to see a huge crowd in here [Oakwell], today was enjoyable and whets the appetite for next week."
Be sure to join us at Oakwell for the start of the 23/24 season journey, which begins as we welcome Port Vale on Saturday 5 August in a 3pm kick off.
Tickets are available by clicking the link below or contacting our Box Office on 01226 211183!
