Wilson welcomes Reds’ rally as Parkinson is left bemused

Oakwell had previously been somewhat of a house of pain for the Reds this term, with Wilson’s side having recorded just one league victory on home soil ahead of yesterday’s derby and seeing visiting sides take the spoils on three occasions.

But everything finally came together for Barnsley in front of the cameras with the hosts producing a gutsy performance with plenty of quality with their display thoroughly deserving of three points in a 3-1 triumph.

Wilson said: “No doubt about it, it was our best home performance (since his return to the club) and what a good time to do it.

“We had been promising this performance in all of our games, but haven’t put it together over 90 minutes.

“It was very pleasing from my perspective. I was disappointed coming in at half-time one-nil down. Sometimes, when that happens, it is difficult to pick the tempo up in the second half.

“But we put our foot on the gas in the second half and I was absolutely delighted by the performance.

“It is a great result against a strong and well organised side in Bradford.

“In derby games, you always want to come away with a good result and we have done that.

“Playing in front of the cameras, you can’t ask for anymore than a result and performance like that to give us confidence.”

Star of the show for the Reds was Sam Winnall, who crowned a superb showing with the hosts’ second goal on 65 minutes after an own goal from Rory McArdle restored parity following Jason Kennedy’s early opener.

Wilson went public to urge his striking pool to grasp the nettle to nail down starting positions, with Winnall certainly answering his manager’s words in the affirmative.

Wilson said: “I threw the gauntlet down to the strikers by saying that somebody has got to start making sure this is their position and Sam has done a great deal of that by getting his goal and playing in the manner that he did.

“He had a great game; it was his best game by a long stretch.”

Bradford went into the game boasting an unbeaten league record on their travels, with their previous away defeat in League One coming at Swindon on April 21.

But after being afforded the perfect start through Kennedy’s goal, everything proceeded to go downhill for the visitors at Oakwell, with their misery compounded by a fifth booking of the season for Gary Liddle, who will miss the home derby clash with Sheffield United on Saturday.

City manager Phil Parkinson felt his side paid the price for a ‘self-indulgent’ performance when they were guilty of being in the comfort zone after netting in the first minute, with Barnsley punishing their casual mindset.

Parkinson said: “We had a great start and scored a very good goal.

“But I just felt there was an air from us of having done well away from home and with them (Barnsley) struggling, that things would just take care of themselves.

“In patches of the first half, we played some good stuff. But our goalkeeper has had to make too many saves.

“We neglected some basics in our game and it proved costly.

“I said to them at half-time it was a case of us thinking it is just going to happen now and we would just go on and win the game.

“But as we know football is not like that.

“The Barnsley supporters were very quiet and we hardly heard them. But we gave them a huge lift with that goal after half-time and after that, Barnsley were the better team.”