Fleetwood v Barnsley FC: Neill Collins spares a thought for the Reds' forgotten men

THE final third; the business end of the season - the time of year when it can feel particularly special to be a professional footballer when you are part of a side striving for honours.
Leon Wobschall
By Leon Wobschall
Published 16th Feb 2024, 17:00 BST
Updated 16th Feb 2024, 17:56 BST

Barnsley can count themselves among that bracket for a second successive season. They head to Fleetwood today with an away record to be feared and proud of and Neill Collins’ side, nicely positioned in fourth place, have a sniff of the top two still in their nostrils.

It’s been a squad effort, but unfortunately there are some who have not been part of the journey so far in 2023-24.

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Centre-back Robbie Cundy, a popular lad in the dressing room, is yet to kick a ball this season due to a complex glute injury.

Barnsley boss Neill Collins, whose side visit Fleetwood in League One on Saturday. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.Barnsley boss Neill Collins, whose side visit Fleetwood in League One on Saturday. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
Barnsley boss Neill Collins, whose side visit Fleetwood in League One on Saturday. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

The big defender also missed two months with a knee problem last tern before returning in the spring and then being sidelined with a hip issue.

Homegrown midfielder Matty Wolfe has also done it tough and has been out for just over a year with a serious knee injury.

Collins said: “It is really difficult. I am not going to lie.

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"For someone like Robbie who comes in every day and does his work, it’s very difficult because they go through an awful lot on their own. And we’ve got an awful lot on our plate.

"You want these guys to feel part of it and how they feel part of it is being out on the training pitch. It’s really difficult, that. I don’t know if you ever get that right as it’s tough."

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Collins has challenged his side to be there for the ‘final bend’ with the Reds pitted in an intriguing battle for automatic promotion where the margins are likely to be tight for at least one of the slots.

The Reds chief admits that targeting points returns from blocks of games is something he has used before. Not that he will be letting on what they are, certainly not now.He added: “With bigger objectives and longer-term targets, I’ve definitely used blocks of games before and I have done it this season.

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"But I don’t all the time as we have done very well this year in taking it a game at a time in terms of what have we got (available) and who have we got (playing) and tried to make sure we are picking up points along the way.”