Barnsley FC fans have a 'job' to do just as my players have, insists Reds chief Michael Duff

BARNSLEY head coach Michael Duff has entrusted Reds supporters with their own job on Friday night - to give his side the best possible chance of completing their part of the bargain in a very finely-poised League One play-off semi-final with Bolton Wanderers.

The Roses rivals are level pegging at 1-1, heading into the pivotal second instalment, with Duff reading little into the fact that Barnsley have home 'advantage' at Oakwell.The Reds chief believes that his side must up their performance levels by 'five to ten per cent' to progress. To help them do that, the Barnsley faithful must also do their bit in his view.

Duff, who reports no fresh injury issues from the first leg on Saturday, said: "It is their (fans) job on the night. We have got a job to deliver a performance and their job is to make it as raucous and noisy as possible.

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"You don't always need (big) numbers to create a hostile environment. I used to play for Northern Ireland at Windsor Park and there would be 15,000 there and sometimes, you'd think it was seventy or eighty thousand.

Michael Duff. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.Michael Duff. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
Michael Duff. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

"We will have more than they (Bolton) do and hopefully they do their job and we can do our bit.

"We are playing against a good team and I think it is going to be a tight affair. But the performance was good the other day and we need another five or ten per cent in our performance and hopefully the crowd can help us with that.

"I don't see any team winning four or five nil just because of the quality within the teams. We have two different ways of playing. They want to dominate the ball and build slowly and we are a bit more high tempo and aggressive with a high press."

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Duff says that Barnsley are prepared for all eventualities and have been practicing penalties for a while and feels that his squad will be ready if they are called upon.

He continued: "If we don't win (in regulation time), we have obviously made contingency plans in terms of penalties and things. That is already 'prepped.'

"We have made five subs in most games since Christmas, so that is not unknown or unusual to us and we change the team a lot to keep it fresh as we do play with intensity and energy. Sometimes, you need to change - particularly the front part of the team.

"I don't know the facts, but I'd imagine in 70 or 80 per cent (of games), we've made five subs. That won't be uncommon to us."

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Should Barnsley manage to get through, there will be a feeling of satisfaction on the night, but for Duff, there will be no over-celebrating for sure.

He added: "We have got an opportunity to get promoted. Ultimately, did anyone think we had a chance this season? I don't think so, just because of the chaos in the summer.

"But there is no 'this is a free hit now', we are here to win. If we do get to Wembley, there will be no knee-slides from the halfway line to the crowd, giving it big swan dives."