Barnsley FC head coach Michael Duff relieved that 'phoney war; is over ahead of Roses play-off test with Bolton Wanderers

With the Reds' play-off qualification having been pretty much assured since mid-April - and their hopes of gate-crashing the top-two always being unlikely in late season - the end to the regular campaign has lacked a little bit of an edge in the past few weeks, through no fault of their own.

While Duff has made all the right noises ahead of matches to see out the 46-game campaign, he has known full well that the only matches that truly matter are the two - and hopefully - three play-off fixtures coming up.

Starting in his side’s semi-final first leg at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

He said: "I have been looking forward to this for three weeks now.

"No matter how much you try and dress it up to the players and things like that, we had a meeting on Monday and it was 'right, thank God, it's here.' I have been waiting to present this for the last three weeks.

"We gave them a bit of a presentation on what they have done this season and what they have achieved and how they have achieved it and showed them in pictures how they have done it. It's all (now) fully focused for two cup finals."

On a slight drop-off from his side, winless in their last three games of the regular season, he continued: "It's a human element.

"You look at the first goal against Peterborough. Two of their midfielders ran past our midfield. It has not happened all season and I don't envisage it happening (on Saturday).

"They might run past one, but I don't see them running past two. The players know that if they do that against Bolton, they will get beaten and go out."

Offering his thoughts on Bolton, Duff added: "It is two good clubs. One is trying to rebuild and one (Bolton) started its rebuild with me (when at Cheltenham) in League Two a couple of years ago and Ian (Evatt) has done a brilliant job with the progress they have made.

"It shows that sometimes you need a bit of time. Up until Christmas (in 2020), they weren't doing particularly well. But there was obviously something wrong with the football club which he has managed to sieve out all the deadwood and problems.

"It will be two tight games and I don't imagine both teams winning four or five-nil in both games.

"The players will have to be wired in with concentration, application and intensity and we are away from home first, so I'd imagine it will be a full house or close to a full house."

Duff will make a late call on influential captain Mads Andersen, who has missed the club's last two games with an adductor issue.

"He has got a chance. He still hasn't trained with the group yet, so it's going to be a late one," the Reds chief said.

Ex Reds loanee Gethin Jones (hamstring) is Wanderers' sole injury absentee.