Reds have laid the platform for survival, says delighted Flitcroft

His battling Reds side may still sit bottom of the table, but they came mighty close to shocking high-flying Reading.

Barnsley dominated the first 45 minutes and should have laid the groundwork for only their second win of the season.

But it was goalless at half-time, and Hal Robson-Kanu put fifth-placed Royals ahead only for Chris O’Grady to fashion a deserved equaliser.

After a horror 5-1 defeat to Watford in their previous Oakwell match – one of four successive defeats for Flitcroft’s side – Tuesday’s 1-1 performance belied their league position.

Now Flitcroft is demanding Tuesday is not just the benchmark for the Reds when they travel to second-placed QPR on Saturday, but for the remainder of the season.

“It’s a good platform for the season,” said Flitcroft, whose side are one of four teams, including Sheffield Wednesday, on five points, although the Owls have a game in hand.

“We are trying to build something here, build some momentum, and that’s the start of it.

“I’m delighted with the way we played, it’s what we are trying to represent as a football team, a football club.

“It was exciting to watch and it had the work ethic that we require of this team. I am just disappointed not to have won the game.

“I am disappointed we didn’t get the winner, I thought we deserved to win, We dominated them at times, certainly from a football aspect, and I am disappointed we haven’t got three points.

“That performance was against Reading, they’ll be in the top three all season, no doubt about that and we have made a superior team look very ordinary.”

Flitcroft engineered Barnsley’s ‘Great Escape’ last season after taking over from Keith Hill, and he is already starting to assemble a similar defiant fighting spirit at Oakwell this term.

“I believe what I am doing here,” he stressed. “I believe in the message, that we built a team last season to get points in this league, and I am going to evolve and build another team. I see a team that is fighting and that is what they did.

“I was pleased with all aspects. The whole team was outstanding, and there was a lot of exciting points, I’m only looking forward.

“Some of the phases of play were outstanding. The courage and bravery to play here after the defeat against Watford was great.

“I needed a performance, I wanted to show the fans that this team’s fighting.

“I thought they were outstanding (on Tuesday), the whole team – even those who came off the bench, Stephen Dawson, Tomasz Cywka and Marcus Pedersen, who looked sharp and bright. What a signing there we have got, to take us into the next three or four games.”

Flitcroft also reserved special praise for the Oakwell crowd, who kept behind the team even when Robson-Kanu scored against the run of play.

“I am proud of that team performance but also the stadium, it was absolutely electric,” he said.

“The crowd kept believing after the first goal went in, kept urging the team to go forward. We did with some great quality but they had a great shot-stopper (Alex McCarthy) in goal who kept the scoreline down.”

After bringing in four loan players to Oakwell, Flitcroft wants to add another two to bolster his squad. Only five are allowed to play in any one game.

“We need to keep adding to what we are doing,” he said.

“We are adding players wise, we are going to balance and shape the squad, try to evolve a team here. That’s what we are busy behind the scenes doing. I am enjoying doing that.

“We have got one loan left, which would give us five, and I might potentially carry six and shuffle the pack.

“At any stage of the season, you might have four or five injuries and you have to cover those positions.”

Fryatt can help turn around Owls season, claims Jones

Under-pressure Sheffield Wednesday manager Dave Jones hailed the impact of Matty Fryatt in their 1-1 draw at Brighton.

Fryatt, making his debut in a one-month loan deal from Hull, gave the Owls a 43rd-minute lead against the run of play, before Seagulls midfielder Keith Andrews hit a last-minute equaliser.

Wednesday remain without a win in nine league outings but Jones believes they are finally moving in the right direction.

He also insists the 27-year-old striker could be the man, in the short-term at least, that helps to turn the season around.

Jones said: “His goal was a real striker’s goal. He hasn’t lashed at it, he’s controlled it and passed it into the net. It’s something we’ve been crying out for now for a really long time.

“He was running on memory at the end as well, though. Had he been that bit fitter we might have pushed on and with more care we would have gone 2-0 up. But we’re not that far from where we want to be. We’ve been crying out for someone like Matty, and he’ll play an important part for us.”