L1 previews: Conor Hourihane closing in on full-time Barnsley FC job, Huddersfield Town chief not giving up hope, big day for Rotherham United boss

After impressing all and sundry at the club with his training-ground approach and high standards in the working week since initially stepping in for 10 games following Darrell Clarke's sacking in mid-March, a fine victory over a top-six candidate in Bolton Wanderers last weekend added significant weight to Hourihane’s long-term credentials.

The Reds visit Leyton Orient on Good Friday, where Hourihane is eyeing his first away win in charge and welcome Peterborough United on Easter Monday.

On feedback from the club’s hierarchy, Hourihane, speaking on Thursday morning, said: "All I know is that they have been very happy with the work since day one and they understand some of the performances have been good, but unlucky in some moments in games as well.

"That’s the feedback I have been getting over the course of the last three or four weeks and obviously with the Bolton game, they were delighted, but they believed that was on the way, off the back of what they were seeing prior to that.

"I am very much process driven and I’m hoping there will be a couple of (more) good, positive results off the back of that.

"But it’s more turning up again this week and improving on the Bolton result and performance. There’s always stuff I want to improve and make us even better and fine-tune things. That performance was good, but it’s never perfect.”

Across South Yorkshire, Matt Hamshaw has already made the switch from interim to permanent head coach at Rotherham United and they welcome Mansfield in his first game as full-time boss on Friday.

He added: "Every time a fan walks into this stadium, I want them to feel like it's the best memory they've had. It could be the worst game you've ever seen, but also it could be the game you talk about for the next 25 years.

"That's important. I want people to come to our amazing stadium and go away from it knowing what we stand for, what we represent and make sure there's smiles on peoples faces and they can go away happy."

Five points behind sixth-placed Reading with just four games left, Huddersfield Town surely require a six-point Easter - starting at home to Cambridge United - to maintain their outside play-off hopes over the next four days.

Interim head coach Jon Worthington said: "That’s got to be our driver, motivation and focus and with the games in a short space of time.

"While it’s mathematically possible, we still believe we can get in there and be fighting for everything. But regardless of that, every time players step out onto that pitch and cross that line, they have to show that best version of themselves. We cannot let those standards drop.

"We did have words (after Burton), I am not going to lie. Everyone accepted we didn’t lead last Saturday and we cannot let that happen again.”