Barnsley FC now know what is required to aid their League One promotion ambitions

Tuesday night’s 1-0 win at promotion rivals Oxford United may not have brought any movement up the table but it saw the Reds extend their unbeaten run in the league to 11 games and close the gap on second-placed Peterborough United to just three points.

Elsewhere, Bolton Wanderers kept their noses ahead in third with a 1-0 home win over Cheltenham Town, while fourth-placed Derby County suffered a 1-0 defeat at lowly Reading, allowing Barnsley to close the gap to just one point and with a game in hand.

The win at Oxford showed that Collins’s players can mix it with the best division has to offer, something they are going to have to do a number of times between now and the end of the campaign.

“Yes, it’s nice to beat another team near the top, and Oxford have been in the top six all season,” said Collins.

“But if we’re going to achieve what we want to achieve we’re going to have to beat the top teams along the way.”

The winner in atrocious conditions at the Kassam Stadium on Tuesday came from a Sam Long own goal in the 29th minute when Long and Devante Cole both challenged for a wicked right-wing cross from Adam Phillips.

Thereafter, Barnsley had to dig deep to ensure all three points came home up the M1 with them, an achievement Collins was proud of.

“I’m exceptionally proud of the team, probably as proud of the team as I’ve been since I’ve been Barnsley manager,” added Collins. “I’m so proud of the togetherness of the team.

"They were terrible conditions but I thought we handled them well in the second half when the wind was against us. That’s something we haven’t done well at times but we did there.

“And apart from the shot that hit the crossbar, I thought we were comfortable, to be honest.

“In the first half we were excellent and in the second half we were very professional. It was a well-earned three points.

“It was one of those nights when we needed every member of the squad who started or came on to play their part.”