On the first day of autumn, Barnsley were feverishly attempting to complete a number of incoming deals. In the event, three got over the line with Adam Phillips, Tom Edwards and Ziyad Larkeche joining the club.

The deal to sign the latter, on loan from Fulham, was only announced almost a week and a half later after the Oakwell outfit received confirmation from the English Football League.

It had been orginally thought that all the relevant paperwork did not go through in time as the Reds faced a race against the clock to get the move approved with the authorities.

The end of the summer window also saw Michal Helik complete a move to Huddersfield Town and Callum Styles pitted into a beat-the-deadline race to seal a loan switch to Millwall.

Already this month, Barnsley have been trying to cover their bases earlier. Max Watters has come in from Cardiff City and provides another striking option.

Bobby Thomas - who made his debut on Saturday - has arrived on loan from Duff's old club Burnley to provide defensive cover following the unfortunate injury news regarding Edwards, who has returned to parent club Stoke City.

Barry Cotter will provide another option as a right wing-back, once he gets up to speed and completes a mini pre-season, while the return to the fray after injury of Luke Thomas and Slobodan Tedic will add to what Duff has at his disposal.

They will feel like 'new signings' given their length of absence.

To some degree, Barnsley have got their ducks in a row this time.

Duff, whose side visit Exeter on Tuesday night, is not expecting any incoming activity this week and doesn't envisage much before the deadline either.

Although you never say never. While Duff has addressed three areas that he felt that club needed to, there is still the potential for a target or two to suddenly be made available who he previously thought were not.

In the other direction, while he does not expect any of his leading players to head out of the club, there is always the potential for a late twist. Hopefully not, though.

On his deadline-day wish, Duff said: "A bit quieter than the last transfer deadline day anyway…

"Although I don't think we are going to sell any of our players, you don't know what bids are (might) come in. Some of it is out of my hands.

"If someone comes in and offers something what the club thinks is really, really good money for someone.…

"At the start of the season, I'd have liked to have kept all the players that left as they were all good players. But it is the cycle of football.

"If players start doing well, people want your players. Every player has got a value here. I am not expecting anything, but we are always prepared and we have always got lists.

"And that works the other way as well. Someone might become available who we didn't think we could get. It works for both ways."

Barnsley's trip to St James Park, for their first appointment in this part of the south-west since November 1980 is the first instalment of a run of five away games out of six which will see the Reds clock up the miles.

After Exeter, the Reds will visit Oxford and Portsmouth, with a trek to Duff's old stomping ground of Cheltenham also taking place within the next month.

A much-needed victory over Accrington has at least extended the buffer that they hold over the chasing play-off pack.

A home game with Derby also arrives next month, while March sees Barnsley entertain more of the division's top three of Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich. They must now navigate the most demanding section of their season.

Duff commented: "We are in a good place. We're in the play-offs and there's a five-point gap. But we have to keep winning.

"We know the quality behind us and that's the pressure of football and business we are in. I don't know what the expectations were before we came in, but we've given ourselves a chance now. That's all it is.

"There's some big teams coming after us. You look at Oxford, who look like they are starting to pick up and there's Charlton, Peterborough and Wycombe. They are all good teams. You have to keep winning.

"It's important to keep 'flat-lined' and not get carried away by the noise.

"We went nine weeks without getting beaten and then lost a couple of games. It doesn't change the way you 'prep' and you still analyse the same way.”

Last six games: Exeter LDWWDL; Barnsley DWLLLW.

Referee: D Handley (Lancashire).

Last time: Exeter 0 Barnsley 1, November 8, 1980; Division Three.

Will Barnsley FC boss Michael Duff get his deadline-day wish this time around?