Barnsley FC need to regain momentum after allowing Peterborough to gatecrash play-offs

Not quite true points-wise, but you appreciated his message.

For League One’s top four have all set an amazing pace since late October. Champions Pymouth Argyle (who finished on 101 points) amassed 63 points from their last 30 games, second-paced Ipswich Town (98) took 62 – the same total the Tykes achieved – while Sheffield Wednesday in third (96) performed the best with 65 points.

Yet for all the bravado, the pride in finishing fourth when, as he puts it, ‘no one gave us a prayer this year’, there must be a nagging concern in the back of Duff's mind that his team have taken their foot off the pedal.

Certainly the pessimists among the Reds faithful will be mindful of the fact they have not won for three games, conceding nine goals in the process.

Granted each of those teams had something to play for. Ipswich two weeks ago were in the process of finding the extra gear to get them over the automatic promotion line.

MK Dons last weekend were fighting for their lives, and Barnsley showed commendable heart to roar back from three goals down to snatch a point that ultimately cost the Dons their League One lives.

And Peterborough needed to win this game and hope Derby County slipped up at Sheffield Wednesday to gatecrash the top six.

Posh did so because they had the requisite urgency – “it was like a cup final to us,” admitted Peterborough’s League One promotion specialist Darren Ferguson – that Barnsley, secure in fourth place and certain of their play-off place, lacked.

Hopefully a two-legged play-off semi-final with Bolton Wanderers, starting in Lancashire on Saturday afternoon and culminating at Oakwell on Friday week, will jolt Barnsley back into life.

Duff will be concerned about his defence, Mads Andersen missing for a second game in a row and the tally of goals conceded in the big Dane’s absence now reaching six.

“We’re hoping he’ll be fine but it is a concern because we’ve only got three training days between now and the next game,” said Duff of his defender who has an abductor issue.

“Hopefully he’ll be with us but we can’t guarantee anything.”

Liam Kitching and Bobby Thomas in his stead afforded Peterborough captain Jonson Clarke-Harris too much space in the penalty area to cushion a left-wing cross and lash the ball past Harry Isted after six minutes to score the goal that sees him take a share of the League One’s golden boot for top goalscorer with Ipswich Town’s Conor Chaplin, once of the Oakwell parish.

Barnsley were too frequently wasteful in possession, Herbie Kane as guilty as anyone. But he never let it knock his confidence, threading a ball through for Devante Cole to sidefoot over the bar.

James Norwood threw himself around physically up front and was replaced at half-time for tactical reasons, by which stage the biggest cheer of the day had come from the Peterborough end when word filtered through that Sheffield Wednesday had taken the lead against Derby.

Fired up by a Duff talking to at half-time, the Reds performed with far more purpose at the start of the second period, Kitching seeing a stab at goal deflected into the grateful arms of Posh goalkeeper Will Norris and then glancing a corner just wide of the post.

On his first start since joining in January, Barry Cotter impressed pushing forward from right-wing back and was one of three victims of what Duff felt should have yielded a first penalty award of the season at Oakwell.

Peterborough needed a cushion and Jack Taylor twice nearly gave them one but found his match in Isted. The Posh midfielder would not be denied a third time, darting in front of his marker to glance a header past the Reds keeper to double the lead.

All that was left was for Posh to play out the game and wait for good news from Hillsborough. They got it, and get the Owls.

Barnsley get Bolton and suddenly need a kickstart.

"I said to the players there, ‘well done for coming fourth’. It’s been a brilliant season. Now we need to tune in again,” said Duff.

Barnsley: Isted; Williams, B Thomas, Kitching; Cotter (Benson 67), Philips, Connell, Kane (L Thomas 67), Cadden; Norwood (Watters 46), Cole (Tedic 67). Unused substitutes: Russell, Cundy, Collins.

Peterborough United: Norris; Ward, Kent, Edwards, Burrows; Kyprianou, Norburn, Poku (Knight 62), Taylor, Mason-Clark; Clarke-Harris. Unused substitutes: Butler, Jones, Thompson, Randall, Blackmore, Tshimanga.

Referee: S Oldham (Lancashire).