WHO THE HECK CAN STOP THE TYKES?
PAUL Heckingbottom is loving life at the Barnsley helm after a derby day victory over Doncaster but the caretaker boss remained coy on his future.
Substitute Ashley Fletcher’s late winner made it eight wins from the last nine league games for the resurgent Reds.
Heckingbottom, who secured his second win in caretaker charge, said he is enjoying his time in charge but would not reveal if he wanted to take the reins on a full-time basis.
“I love the club, I love the responsibility and I love the fact you’re always involved,” said Heckingbottom.“But for the time being I just keep doing what I’m told.We were good in this game but we can improve.
“We were wasteful and had to wait until late on to get our winner.We felt like we were on top and in the ascendancy and luckily we got the goal.
“It was a team effort because they all defended well and it was down to work ethic and discipline.
“The stats show two shots on target from them, which shows that the defence is doing something right.” The Reds made the brighter start when Sam Winnall sent a header wide before Adam Hammill drew two fine saves from Thorsten Stuckmann.
The best Rovers offered up was Mitchell Lund’s glancing header that went wide. There was a worrying sight for the hosts midway through the half when Aidy White left the field on a stretcher after a lengthy stoppage.
Rovers ended the half stronger and when Cedric Evina ate up the yards with an excellent dash down the left he set up Paul Keegan, who fired wide.
Lund produced the first effort after the break, but his rasping effort was straight at Adam Davies.
Substitute Fletcher then mustered a timid effort that Stuckmann kept out before Conor Hourihane tested the German’s reflexes almost straight away.
Barnsley did have the ball in the net soon after but Stuckmann was adjudged to have been fouled as the ball was bundled over the line. The long-awaited breakthrough arrived on 81 minutes.
Fletcher was first to react after Stuckmann spilled Hourihane’s shot right into his path a few yards out to seal the derby day spoils.
As for Rovers, manager Darren Ferguson has seen his side now lose four on the spin. He said:“I thought we battled quite well. “We got control of the game in the second half but it was a really, really poor goal that we lost. “The shot is going wide for their goal. “We could have been a bit more threatening at times but that’s what happens when you’re in the middle of a bad run.
“Performances like last week put pressure on us because everyone knows that it wasn’t acceptable.
“This game was better than last week but maybe a month ago we might have nicked this one.
“We’re on a bad run and we need to get out of it.”