BRAD Collins has ‘experienced everything I could have thought of’ during his three years at Barnsley and believes he will add another dramatic survival in the coming weeks.
The goalkeeper, 25, joined the Reds in 2019 and was part of the squad that stayed up in 2020 after being nine points adrift with 14 games left.
He is hoping to repeat that feat this season, having helped the Reds to the play-offs last year.
Collins told the Chronicle: “It’s been three years now and I have experienced everything I could have thought of.
“I have said from way back that we have always had the belief in the dressing room but certainly now the results are coming and the fans are getting behind us. We will need them, they will be a big factor in us winning games and staying in games.”
The Reds have cut the gap to safety from nine points to two points in the last month. Collins said: “It’s good but, in the Championship, it changes every week. So we will just focus on ourselves for the next nine games and get as many points as possible then hopefully we stay out of it.
“We were poor for a long spell but the boys are growing in confidence every day, which will happen when you get wins.”
Collins is now looking forward to tomorrow’s derby at Sheffield United.
“It will be a fantastic game.
“It’s one we should relish.
“We’re on good form, we can beat anyone on our day and we really look forward to going there and going toe to toe with them.
“It’s a very tough place to go but I believe in the boys and they believe in each other.”
Barnsley let in late levellers in the previous two games but Collins believes Tuesday’s win over Bristol City means the total of five points is a decent return from the three fixtures.
He said: “It was tough to concede in the 95th minute against Stoke then late on against Fulham but we went toe to toe with Fulham and the three points against Bristol City turn them into good results.”
On the win over Bristol City, the goalkeeper said: “We scored two great goals from set pieces which we haven’t done a lot this year so we’re thrilled with that and the way we defended as a team was very resolute. We’re very happy to get the clean sheet. The boys defended terrifically – the amount of blocks, headers, last-ditch defending. When you’re in the relegation zone you need fighters and we have that in abundance.”
