Reds aim to play their cards right and come up trumps again

The second-from-bottom Reds need to play their cards right for the second year in succession to secure Championship football at Oakwell for a ninth consecutive campaign – and have critical games against relegation rivals Doncaster Rovers, Millwall and Charlton Athletic this month.

The latter encounter in south-east London is pencilled in for February 25, with the original game controversially called off on January 11 just two hours before kick-off when the Valley surface was deemed unplayable due to surface water.

Reds players, club officials and around 400 visiting supporters cut a frustrated and dejected bunch that afternoon but if the frowns turn to smiles in just under three weeks’ time on the back of a three-point haul, it will more than make up for matters with that fixture representing a key game in hand on their fellow strugglers for Barnsley and the Addicks.

Clinging onto any positives for the Reds this week may have been an onerous task for their fans following a shattering late derby defeat at Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend but negativity is not an option, according to Steele, who insists the club’s fate remains very much in their hands.

Steele, pictured with his head in a towel after defeat at Hillsborough, said: “We are not dead and buried by a long way. I have spoken to fans and a lot really believe we will get out of the bottom three again and we need them to keep supporting the team and the club. It’s not about one individual player, it’s about a collective togetherness and us coming through again.

“We’re in a big relegation fight and it’s very similar to last year, although we are closer to third or fourth from bottom than what we were then.

“If there’s any positive at all, we’ve been taking it, that’s the important thing. We aren’t listening to negative people and thoughts and will continue to do that because if you don’t, you are dragged into a negative environment. You have to pull yourselves together and take any positive. Even in training, if it’s winning a small-sided game or doing well it can build confidence.

“You look at what happened at Charlton, which was disappointing. But apart from Sheffield Wednesday winning, the other teams at the bottom didn’t win. We sat on the coach and near the end of the journey, we said: ‘Look, the main thing is we haven’t lost and others have – and we were in exactly the same position, five points away from safety, but with a game in hand.

“We at least had that lift and an ace of diamonds in the back pocket.”

He added: “You have got to stay with the pack and give yourself a chance. Last season, Bristol City didn’t really give themselves a chance and when it came to March and April, they were almost already relegated.

“As long as you hang in there, even in crisis times and we’ve had a few lately. But drawing away at Leeds was a massive result, as was drawing away at Birmingham when we were 1-0 down. They can all turn out to be really important draws at the end of the season.”

While Barnsley endured a cruel blow deep in stoppage time at Hillsborough, the damage was not too grievous other than to their own pride.

Elsewhere, Charlton suffered their own late misfortune at Wigan, while Millwall were humbled 3-0 at home by Reading and the likes of Bolton and Blackpool were also sucked deeper towards the relegation positions.

The following day, Yeovil were beaten at Nottingham Forest on a weekend which saw just one team in the bottom 11 win.

Manager Danny Wilson said: “I think any wins that the bottom teams can get now will be very significant and let’s hope things do fall into our favour.

“There’s other teams who, while I am not going to name names, can’t get a win at the moment. Psychologically, it can get very difficult when you get into free-fall. There could be any three from 10 (in the relegation mix) at the minute.”