Soccer gossip: Barnsley, Blades, Huddersfield, Rotherham

BARNSLEY goalkeeper Luke Steele has urged his confidence-sapped Reds team-mates to search for some inner belief in a bid to halt the club’s alarming Championship run.

Keith Hill’s side head into Saturday’s tough trip across the Pennines to Bolton Wanderers on the back of four successive defeats, with the Oakwell outfit having failed to find the net in their last three matches.

All told, the Reds have won just once in their past nine league games, with Steele admitting they have to dig deep in a bid to arrest their poor streak of form.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “It’s going to take hard work on the training pitch, but we can’t dwell on it (our bad form). We’ve got to work on the positives and improve.

“It’s belief. You can’t just give people belief, it’s something you’ve got to search for inside yourself. You’ve got to believe that you can turn teams over.

“Our unity has won us games in the past, it’s kept us in the league in the past. Unity is so under-rated.”

“You’ve got to become friends and you’ve got to want to do it for each other.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Huddersfield Town defender Paul Dixon has been added to the Scotland squad for tomorrow’s friendly in Luxembourg.

The left-back is among five players drafted in by caretaker boss Billy Stark after nine members of the original pool withdrew through injury.

Dixon, who joined Town from Dundee United in the summer, won his first two caps in the World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Macedonia earlier this season.

The 25-year-old, who has made 17 club appearances this term, joins former Town colleague and Blackburn Rovers frontman Jordan Rhodes in the squad.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sheffield United midfielder Matty Harriott has joined Alfreton Town on loan.

The 20-year-old has signed on an initial month-long deal, running until December 9.

Rotherham United will be without the services of key central defender Craig Morgan for Saturday’s home game with high-flying Cheltenham Town.

The former Peterborough stopper hurt his ankle early on in Saturday’s calamitous 5-0 drubbing at Dagenham and Redbridge and is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It’s a blow boss Steve Evans could do without, especially with another key player, Kari Arnason - who can slot in at the back - also currently sidelined.

Morgan, who has been an excellent signing since joining from Preston in August, injured an ankle early on in the defeat at Dagenham.

The Millers have awarded club stalwart and current coach Paul Warne a testimonial match, which will be staged at the end of the season.

Keep abreast of news from your club, plus complete live match data and stats, with our new FREE apps. Versions for iPhone and Android.