Continuity reaping its rewards for Paul Heckingbottom and Barnsley

Heckingbottom presided over the second win of his three-match spell in charge and believes that continuity is reaping its rewards for the Reds, who have failed to be blown off course by the departure of Lee Johnson to Bristol City.

Saturday’s win was Barnsley’s fifth consecutive league triumph on home soil – something not achieved since promotion to the top flight in 1996-97 – and maintained the club’s outside hopes of gate-crashing the League One play-offs.

Heckingbottom, whose side will move within four points of sixth-placed Coventry if they win at Bury tomorrow night, said: “I have enjoyed all of it, to be fair. The first few days were a whirlwind, but I have settled into it and I feel like I am being myself a bit more now.

“Performances have been good, so it’s a case of maintaining that and looking for the little bits extra.

“I love it, it’s great and I like the responsibility and always being involved. I love the club.

“For the time being, I am carrying on doing as I am told in terms of keeping preparing the team and trying to send them out to get the wins.”

Darren Ferguson, whose Rovers side are three points above the drop zone after seven games without a win, said: “We are on a bad run, there’s no question about that.

“We don’t go from a good team to a bad team all of a sudden. We are just lacking a little bit of confidence.”