BARNSLEY boss Neill Collins would be ‘pretty happy’ with 90 points this season and believes it would give them a good chance of the top two.
The Reds are fifth in League One, with 70 points from 37 games, five points off second-placed Derby County, with a game in hand on all the top three, while they are ten points clear in the top six.
The Reds have nine games left, starting tomorrow at home to Cheltenham Town who are in the relegation zone.
This week Barnsley were thrashed 5-1 at home to mid-table Lincoln City on Saturday then won 3-2 at bottom club Carlisle United on Tuesday.
Derby host third-placed Bolton Wanderers tomorrow while leaders Portsmouth visit fourth-placed Peterborough United.
Head coach Collins told the Chronicle: “We look at a points tally we want to get to. There will be a lot of ups and downs so it doesn’t change game to game, if you know how many points and wins you need.
“If Derby beat Bolton and Portsmouth beat Peterborough does it change? Probably not.
“It’s good have that target.”
Does he think 90 points will be needed?
“If you get to 90 you will be in a pretty good spot.
“I was part of a team (Sheffield United as a player) that got to 90 and didn’t go up – one of only two.
“So hopefully I am not part of that again. Although if you said to me today we will get 90 points, I would be pretty happy.
“We have to win a lot of games.
“There are a lot of tough games to come. We’ll just focus on winning the next one.”
The Reds equalled a club record in midweek as their unbeaten away league run extended to ten games.
While they have the best away record in League One with 39 points from 18 matches, their home record of 31 points from 19 Oakwell fixtures is the 11th best in the division.
They have four home games left, all against sides outside the current top ten.
Collins said: “It starts on Saturday, we want three points at home with a big performance.
“We have opportunities between now and the end of the season to put our home record straight.
“Near the start of the season, when we weren’t at our strongest, we played a lot of the top teams at home.
“But we want to put it right.”
Barnsley have conceded in the opening 20 minutes of eight of the last 12 games.
Collins said: “We analyse it and look at it. I don’t see a distinct pattern other than we’re getting punished early.
“We continue to strive to be better. The players know all the answers.
“A big part of it is concentration and decision-making. We have handled it well up to this point. But hopefully we don’t have to handle it much more.”
Barnsley’s next three games are against teams currently 21st, 20th and 19th. After the Cheltenham fixture, they do not play for 13 days as their game at Portsmouth has been moved from March 23 to April 16.
Their Easter games are against two teams just above the relegation zone managed by former Oakwell employees.
Their Good Friday visitors are Cambridge United – who hired former Reds defender Garry Monk last week – then they go on Easter Monday to Burton Albion whose boss Martin Paterson was Barnsley’s assistant head coach last season.
After long trips to Charlton Athletic, on April 6, and Stevenage three days later, the Reds are due to host Reading then visit Portsmouth and Blackpool before completing their campaign at home to Northampton Town on April 27.
