Barnsley FC v Wycombe Wanderers: Energy crucial to make home advantage count, says Conor Hourihane
Twelve months ago it might have been something to get nervous about, but three home games in seven days are an opportunity for Barnsley.
Conor Hourihane says providing the energy to give them home advantage will be a joint effort.
It starts with Tuesday's visit from their old manager, Michael Duff, and continues with Exeter City on Saturday, and Cardiff City next Tuesday.
In 15 League One games, Barnsley have already beaten the points tally they won at home over the whole of last season (28-26).
"Our performances at home have been really positive over the last period with wins against Blackpool, Stevenage and Peterborough and a couple of draws that could easily have gone in our favour as well," argued the coach.
"It was something I wanted to get better. It was touched on last season we didn't have the best of records at home and maybe even the previous season so I just wanted to put that right and get as many points at home as we can.
"We've definitely done that, our performances have been decent on the whole."
Asked about the part the Oakwell fans can play, Hourihane was eager to stress it is not just down to them.
"They can bring the volume and the energy," he said. "We need to do that as well with our performances.
"If we show the intensity we did for 20 minutes in Saturday’s second half (at Leyton Orient) we're a match for anyone, particularly at home."
With none of the teams above them playing, a 3-0 win would put Barnsley into the top 10 on goal difference and still with games in hand on all of those ahead in the table.
Gatecrashing the play-offs will be a tall order but in David McGoldrick they have the Football League's top-scorer in 2026 after moving into double figures for the year with a hat-trick at Leyton Orient on Saturday.
"He's the focal point of the team at the moment," said Hourihane of the former Sheffield United forward.
"The lads are always gravitating to him on and off the pitch.
"We had a position to fill a little bit with Davo (Davis Keillor-Dunn) leaving in January and he's just taken to it so easily.
"Before Davo left he was a bit in and out and he saw an opportunity to be ready when Davo left and he's absolutely grabbed it with both hands."