Barnsley FC boss Michael Duff fires warning to players ahead of play-off meetings with Bolton Wanderers

A fourth-placed finish booked Barnsley’s spot in the play-offs and they are preparing to do battle with Bolton over two legs. The regular season ended on a 2-0 defeat to Peterborough United for the Reds, but their league position remained unchanged.

Despite winning just one of the last four games of the regular season, Reds head coach Duff has insisted training levels have not dipped. However, he has insisted his players must be “wired in” if they are to progress into the League One play-off final.

Speaking after the defeat to Peterborough, he said: “The pleasing thing of the last two weeks is the last couple of performances haven’t been quite there but the training has. The training numbers are exactly the same. There was a scuffle in training yesterday, which I think is a positive. [It was] nothing silly but it shows the demand they put on each other every day in training.

"It’s not like we’ve had our sandals on for the last two weeks and that’s why the performances have dipped. Performances haven’t hit the levels but they know if they’re not wired in next week, we’ll get beat and it’s been a wasted 10 months.”

Barnsley have already faced Bolton on three occasions this season – twice in the league and once in the Emirates FA Cup. Duff said: “[It will be a] tough game. Who are you going to pick that isn’t a tough game? Peterborough have just snuck in at sixth and they’ve just shown today that they’re a good team. Derby [County] have just missed out.

"I think we’ve had three games against them already - a win, a loss and a draw. I think they’ll probably say they’re a better team than what they were in January. We’re definitely a better team now than what we were in January. It’s a big club, another ex-Premier League club. [I’m] looking forward to it now. The last couple of weeks have been tough and we can properly focus in now.”

Barnsley’s play-off semi-final games will take place on May 13 and 19.