Blackpool v Barnsley FC: Marquee League One signing Davis Keillor-Dunn on how frustrating run is adding fuel to his 'fire'

The hullabaloo continued when he netted just 11 minutes into his Reds debut against Bristol Rovers on September 7.

In five matches since, the former Mansfield Town marksman has failed to score and been substituted in the second half of each.

There is one school of thought suggesting that in some respects, his marquee introduction to the Oakwell faithful created a bit of a rod for his own back in that it generated expectations that he would do this sort of thing most weeks.

Assimilating into a team and building connections usually only happens over time. It is Keillor-Dunn’s misfortune that his quiet recent time of it has coincided with a collective drop-off in Barnsley’s form.

They could do with a result - and most definitely a performance - at Blackpool today.

For his part, Keillor-Dunn is not one for worrying. In fact, his recent fortunes have increased his hunger to get back to experiencing what he did on his bow.

The Wearsider said: "If you spoke to my friends or family, I’ve been - not sort of down - but had a little bit of frustration because of the past few weeks.

"If anything, it gives me the fire in my stomach to crack on and go and chase that feeling of the first game again.

"It just makes me more eager to win games and score goals.

"I’ve got standards I set and I think the people around me will be telling me if I am not living right or doing the things on the pitch that I need to. I will be told.

"I am an honest person and a realist and understand that the expectations here are high and you need to perform every week."

Barnsley have won just once in their past seven matches ahead of facing a Blackpool side who have rediscovered their mojo under the wily Steve Bruce.

They are in a sticky spot, but Keillor-Dunn is quick to venture that it’s nothing else.

It hardly equates, for instance, to his time at Oldham, when the troubled Lancastrians were fighting a losing battle to stay in the EFL in 2021-22.

He added: "You’ve got a club riding on staying in the division and stuff like that and then you’ve got things going on off the pitch which you can’t control and fans and people might not see that.

"You’ve got a lot of factors and just have to crack on. That’s football - there’s ups and downs.

"Hopefully we get more ups."