Barnsley FC boss Conor Hourihane left with 'contrast of emotions' after defeat to Bolton Wanderers
Barnsley head coach Conor Hourihane was left with a “contrast of emotions” after his side’s 3-2 defeat to Bolton Wanderers.
After a difficult end to the winter transfer window, the Reds did little to raise spirits in a dismal first-half.
When the half-time whistle blew, a Sam Dalby brace and a goal from ex-Reds loanee John McAtee had Bolton three goals to the good.
Barnsley fought back with second-half goals from Luca Connell and Adam Phillips, but the mountain proved too high to climb.
Conor Hourihane reflects
Hourihane said: “I’m disappointed not to have got something out of the game. So I have a contrast of emotions. We could have been four or five down easily in that first half had it not been for [goalkeeper] Owen Goodman.
“We were lucky to be only 3-0 down and I was thankful for that to be honest. We could not live with their intensity. We looked tired and leggy.
“They had a week off, we didn’t. Was that something to do with it? Potentially. But they are on a decent run, fighting for promotion and a top-two spot. They came out of the traps a lot quicker than us.
“I didn’t shout, I didn’t scream. I could have taken any of them off other than Owen Goodman. We looked a completely different team and gave ourselves a fighting chance.
“The important thing was the reaction. Would we go under? Or would we have an attacking output and give ourselves a chance to at least put a gloss on the scoreline? We did that and more and could have got something out of the game.”
.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
The Bolton Wanderers view
Bolton boss Steven Schumacher, meanwhile, said: “It looked like we have our swagger back.
“The way we played in the first half was excellent. We looked a threat every time we went forward.
“We deservedly went in 3-0 up and it could have been more and game over. In the second, we had a couple of chances to kill the game off. They get one back and made it interesting.”