McGeehan gives early present to Stendel

DANIEL Stendel will be hoping that his Barnsley side’s win will serve as a Christmas present to the supporters.

The Tykes got back to winning ways with Cameron McGeehan’s second-half goal ending a winless December as they earned victory against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

Stendel believes his side had some big chances in the game and came away happy, despite only netting once.

“I think it was a very good away game from us. We had patience from the start and a lot of big chances,” he said.

“It’s not easy to win at Blackpool – the pitch was difficult to play good football on. But my team played well and deserved to win today.

“We had two or three big chances to score in the first half. It was a good test of the mentality of the squad.”

Blackpool’s brightest first-half moment came as John O’Sullivan forced Adam Davies to save at his near post.

Dimitri Cavare then found Kieffer Moore unmarked at the back post, but the striker could only direct his header straight at Mark Howard.

The Reds started the second period on the front foot, as Potts intercepted Jordan Thompson’s back-pass and dragged a shot wide.

Yet Potts made amends soon afterwards by setting up McGeehan for a simple header at the back post.

Cauley Woodrow’s half-volley flashed wide and Moore tested Howard in injury time as Barnsley comfortably held out for victory against a blunt Blackpool.

Terry McPhillips did not share the view of his opposite man after the game insisting that Barnsley did not create many chances to score.

McPhillips said: “We weren’t at our best. We would have taken a draw today, but it wasn’t to be. We didn’t defend our goal well enough and that cost us.

“We haven’t been at our best, but that should still have been enough not to have lost. If we come in with a draw then we would take that, so it’s hard to take.

“They’re all hard games and the first goal is massive. A 0-0 would have been good. But it makes the next couple of games more important now.

“I did think a few weren’t up to their usual standard today, hence we didn’t do as well as we can do.”