Barnsley FC's sense of togetherness takes hold thanks to leading man Devante Cole

The Reds should consider themselves to be blessed for plenty of other reasons regarding a player who is proving himself to be their leader of the pack.

The much-travelled striker has found a home at Oakwell. No third-tier rival has managed to score 10 times in the division so far this term and Cole is currently out on his own, thanks to his classy and instinctive finish to wrap up Tuesday’s 3-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town.

Other numbers back up his quality and influence. His goal conversion rate stands at a decent 43 per cent, with his shot accuracy standing at a healthy 70 per cent.

But it is the less quantifiable things that make the 28-year-old stand out.

The clever touches, deft movement, intensity in the press and decision-making, the unselfish runs.

All were in evidence against the Shrews, on a night when he splendidly set up Callum Styles for the hosts’ second and finished up a fabulous team move in the second half.

If Cole continues at his current scoring rate, he will comfortably eclipse his total of 16 goals last term.

Backing up his quota of goals is something just as important and something Neill Collins is very grateful for. His leadership.

Barnsley lost a few from their dressing room last summer. Thankfully, senior figures still remain and it is the devout hope of supporters that Cole – subject of interest late in the window and whose contract expires in June – will stick around.

The Reds have squad depth for sure, but Cole looks to be one player whom they would struggle to replace.

Head coach Collins said: “Devante has got more experience and got better, like we all do.

“My challenge to him this season was ‘can he be a leader in this team’ and he is definitely doing it in the best way – leading from the front and scoring goals.

“It is also his pressing and setting the tempo with his performances.

“Devante is leading from the front and the best way to show that togetherness is the way he set up Stylesy for that goal. He knows that the next time, it could be the other way around.”

Despite some bumps in the road at Oakwell, Barnsley are in a good place, given what Collins had to contend with, initially, when he walked into the building in the summer.

Like his predecessor Michael Duff, there were some real issues to contend with. Some players have departed, like the previous close season, but the important thing is that those who have remained have come together, alongside others who have added to the group.

Collins added: “One thing about the team is that the first two or three weeks were tough, coming in pre-season as there was probably the hang-over from the play-offs and the manager leaving and some players with their own personal situations to deal with.

“Once things have settled down, I have got to know them and built those relationships and their attitude has been excellent.

“You look at the subs with the way they came on (Tuesday), the players are all building a good togetherness.”

Barnsley’s home form was under the microscope ahead of Tuesday’s game after four defeats in six Oakwell outings at league level ahead of the visit of their opponents from Shropshire.

The taming of the Shrews has made the Reds feel a bit better about themselves. Another good victory and performance in Saturday’s home encounter with Fleetwood Town would further put the issue to bed.

For his part, Collins - whose third-placed side saw the gap between themselves and the side in the second automatic promotion position in Oxford United reduce to two points on Tuesday - is not getting ahead of himself.

He added: “One thing I have found out since I have come back is that you are two games away from being a genius and two games away from being a ‘plonker’.

“It’s not a lot, so we’ll keep our feet on the ground and we are pleased. "The biggest thing from the game was that performances are constantly improving and the players have done well to pick up results and hence we are improving.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​