DARRELL Clarke is pleased with the progression of his team this week and wants it to continue at lowly Shrewsbury Town from 3pm.
The Reds are eighth in the League One table with 19 points from 12 games.
This week they won 2-1 at Blackpool on Saturday – ending a four-match winless run in all competitions – then drew 2-2 at home to Charlton Athletic on Tuesday.
Both performances were seen as a marked improvement on the disappointing displays before a two-week break from league action.
Clarke told the Chronicle: “Consistency is really important but it’s not easy in football.
“We have new players and inexperienced players. We’ve had a couple of decent performances, not vintage, but we have to keep improving.
“You’re always calling for patience. The team won six of 19 games last season and two of the last 11.
“We’ve lost 40 plus goals with the players who left last season, then brought two centre forwards in on the last day of the window.
“The way I look at it is the team is progressing and we’ll get there. We’re in the mix. We’re fighting against good teams.”
He added: “It feels like we’ve taken a step in the direction but you’re quickly onto the next game.
“We’ve got a tough game against Shrewsbury to try to get seven points out of the week.”
The Reds have four victories from their first six away games – the third best record in League One on the road this season.
Clarke said: “We have four wins away but we have to keep building on it.
“The away form was good last year and it’s been solid enough this year.
“It’s tough to win home or away in any game at professional level.”
The Shrews are third-bottom with eight points from 13 games – three points adrift in the relegation zone.
They finished last season two places above the relegation zone after a seven-match winless run then signed 15 new players with a similar number leaving the club.
Paul Hurst’s team collected one win from their first ten league games of the season, and just five points, scoring only eight goals.
But, after drawing 2-2 at Bolton Wanderers having led 2-0, they won 5-3 at fellow strugglers Crawley Town – netting four times after 70 minutes.
They then lost 2-0 at home to Exeter City on Thursday of last week and 1-0 at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday.
The Shrews have won two of their last 20 league games since March.
They have only scored one goal in their last five home games and taken only one point – both in a 1-1 draw with Rotherham.
Only winless bottom club Burton Albion have a worse record at home in League One this season.
Since New Year’s Day, Shrewsbury’s 16 home league games have brought two wins, three draws and 11 defeats.
Clarke said: “They are fighting for their lives but there’s only a quarter of the season gone and plenty of points to play for. We will respect them but try to get after them and get the points.
“I have a lot of respect for Paul Hurst. He’s had a fantastic managerial career.
“He’s a very honest guy and he has a very honest team.
“They haven’t got what they deserved from their last two performances.
“We won’t underestimate them. We will go there to win but respect that, although one or two things are not going well for them, performances are solid and we can’t take them lightly.”
Clarke and Shrewsbury boss Hurst have met each other 12 times, the most either has faced an opponent in their careers – with Clarke winning six and losing four.
Hurst’s only meetings with Barnsley came last season when Grimsby lost 2-0 at Oakwell in the EFL Trophy then Shrewsbury – who he joined midway through the campaign for a second spell – drew 1-1 at home to the Reds in February.
Nicky Cadden scored an early own goal but Herbie Kane netted an injury-time penalty. That ended a run of four successive Barnsley wins against the Shrews, including a 3-0 victory earlier that season – almost exactly a year to the day ago. Kane also scored a penalty in that match, with Callum Styles and Devante Cole completing the victory.
The two clubs have met 46 times with Barnsley winning half of them and losing 13. Of the Reds’ last six trips to the Shropshire club, they have won three and lost once – a 3-1 defeat under Daniel Stendel in 2018.
Reds striker Sam Cosgrove spent the first half of the 2021/22 season on loan to Shrewsbury from Birmingham, scoring twice in 22 games.
