Michael Duff feels Barnsley were good value for victory at Oxford

Posted Thursday, February 02, 2023 by PA

Barnsley boss Michael Duff believed the 2-1 victory at Oxford was thoroughly deserved.

Bobby Thomas and Nicky Cadden both scored their first goals for The Tykes before Elliott Moore pulled a goal back for the U’s, who have now lost three games on the trot.

Duff said: “It was a really, really good solid away performance without being spectacular.

“The most pleasing thing for me was that Oxford are a very good footballing side and they resorted to shelling the ball and shoving long throws down our throats.

“We had enough chances to have been out of sight.

“We’re disappointed to concede from a corner and then they had lots and lots of pressure but no clear-cut chances after that.

“We started the game well and started the second half well and after they scored we had to grind it out then to come away with the three points.

“Other teams in and around the play-offs would have been looking at our result tonight.

“We’ve got games in hand but they mean nothing if you don’t win the games, so it was pleasing to have won this one.”

Oxford boss Karl Robinson, under pressure from some sections of fans, said: “I thought it was very even with two good teams in the first half.

“I thought in the second half we came out with real intent – not much quality, but I don’t think it was that type of night to find that bit of quality, with the aggression in the opposition.

“Losing Cameron Brannagan was a big blow. They hit us when we were getting a little bit of control, and then at 2-0 you think oh no, this is could be a very bad night.

“Yes, it was a bad night getting beat, don’t think I’m accepting a defeat.

“But I thought the players showed tremendous appetite and desire to try to fight their way back into it.

“Tyler (Smith) missed a chance with 25 minutes to go and it could have been different had that gone in. It would have given us a little bit more time to get back into the game.

“We ended up getting back into it through Elliott Moore and then we had one or two flash across.

“If I’m disappointed with anything, it was that I don’t think we had a good enough opportunity after our goal. Our crossing could have been better the longer the game played out.

“There have been Oxford managers who have gone through a lot longer runs of defeats than what I’m going through now and who have been in a lot lower league positions as well.

“You can see the players are really working hard and fighting to stay in games and compete. Barnsley have come down from the Championship as well and tonight there wasn’t a massive gulf between the teams.

“I thought our fans stayed with the team all game. The criticism at me at the end – that’s part and parcel of football when you are not winning games.”