Barnsley plotting sabotage mission against visiting Owls

The Reds go into the lunchtime kick-off with little to play for in terms of league status, but Heckingbottom – a former Owl who starred in the Hillsborough club’s only play-off final success, in Cardiff in 2005 – wants to sabotage Wednesday’s promotion dream.

Barnsley have faced Leeds United, Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United in the Championship this term, but Heckingbottom knows Wednesday is ‘the’ derby that Tykes fans value the most.

Meetings between these two neighbouring clubs are always feisty, but sixth-placed Owls are under pressure to improve results to cling onto the final play-off spot.

Throw in the return to Oakwell of striker Sam Winnall – who upset Tykes fans by joining Wednesday in the January transfer window – and it all adds up to a potentially explosive afternoon.

“This is the one,” rallied Heckingbottom. “We have had some great derbies this year, but this is the one that most Barnsley fans look out for.

“Wednesday are just down the road, they will fill the away end, and Oakwell will be bouncing.

“We have to use that atmosphere to our advantage, make sure it’s as lively and high-temp, energetic as possible.

“It’s a one-off game for us. If we were in Wednesday’s position, we would be looking at the bigger picture. All that mattered would be where we finished come May.

“But we are not, so, for us, this is just a one-off game.

“It will be a full house, playing against a team who have spent a lot of money and are fighting for the play-offs.

“But we have a lot of fight, and qualities, in us.

“I would like to think it will be the biggest crowd of the season, it deserves to be.”

All eyes tomorrow will be on Winnall, who is certain to get a frosty ‘welcome’ on his first return to Oakwell since his controversial exit.

Heckingbottom admits he was disappointed to lose his top scorer, the Reds cashing in on a player who could have left for nothing had his contract been allowed to expire this summer.

Winnall has been a regular partner to Jordan Rhodes in 2017, but has netted just once in 11 games in a Wednesday shirt.

With Fernando Forestieri and Gary Hooper on their way back from injuries, the question tomorrow is will Winnall retain his starting XI place in head coach Carlos Carvalhal’s side?

“I would have thought he would be playing, coming back to his old club, I would think Carlos plays him,” said Heckingbottom.

“There’s not too much that Sam can do that we don’t know about.

“In big games, he enjoys it. I can tell you, if Carlos doesn’t play him he will be disappointed. But we will have to wait until the team sheets come in.

“From a personal point of view, I am disappointed (he left), but the club accepted the money, Sam wanted to go, there’s not too much I could do about it.

“I know the reasons why. But you know, even if you have all the money, it doesn’t always make it perfect.

“That’s why it doesn’t bother me. Let them go and we will bring in someone who is hungry, and a player who is desperate to play for us.

“Money doesn’t always buy everything and we will see on Saturday.

“There will be no money rolling about on the pitch, it will be 11 v 11 players and we will be trying our best to get three points.”

Heckingbottom and current Owls No 2 Lee Bullen were in the Wednesday team that beat Hartlepool United 4-2 in the 2004-05 League One play-off final.

One point divides the Owls and seventh-placed Fulham, while mid-table Barnsley are 11 points adrift with eight games remaining. Heckingbottom saw his side lose 2-0 at Hillsborough in December – a harsh scoreline as the visitors were the ones who impressed – when the Reds finished with 10 men after the sending-off of Adam Hammill, following a clash with Sam Hutchinson.

With the Owls going into the international break with a poor return of just four points from a possible 18, the Reds want to inflict further damage to their rivals’ play-off hopes.

“They have had good runs of form and poor runs of form,” said Heckingbottom.

“I think everyone is after that consistency.

“If you ask any of the coaching staff at Wednesday they will probably say they should have more points, and deserve more, which I can understand.

“We know they are a good side, have some good players, got players coming back from injury. But we will be prepared for that and ready to impose ourselves on them, because we have good players.

“At our best, we are a difficult team to play against, as Wednesday saw when we played them away.”