Darrell Clarke praised his Barnsley side for a ‘hell of a response this week’ but admitted the nervous finish in the 4-3 home win over Lincoln City meant he ‘left the pitch a frustrated man.’

The Reds surged 3-0 then 4-1 up with goals by Davis Keillor-Dunn, Adam Phillips, Georgie Gent and Max Watters. But the visitors netted twice more late on.

Clarke told the Chronicle: “I left the pitch a frustrated man. Inside I am happy we’ve won but frustrated we don’t see it out a lot more comfortably. Bad decision-making in the last 15 minutes and it’s the story of our season to a certain extent.

“I am really pleased with how clinical we were with the goals. It’s difficult after two away games, the legs were a bit leggy. We had a couple of development players on the bench. We have eight or nine out with injuries and suspensions. The lads put a hell of a shift in but the last 15 minutes tarnished it a bit. I am sure when I have a glass of red tonight, I will look back at a really positive week.

“I just never feel like I can relax with our boys. I have to be on them all the time. They will probably give me a heart attack in a few years if I carry on doing things like that. But they are not dancing around in the changing room. They are a little bit frustrated we didn’t see it through as comfortably as we should have done.

“But the game is about winning.”

The Reds remain tenth, four points off the play-offs ahead of a trip to sixth-placed Charlton Athletic on Tuesday. Barnsley have won three matches this week, to reduce the gap to sixth from ten points.

Clarke said: “Fair play to all the boys. It’s been a hell of a response this week. We needed a big week and we’ve got it. Then we move on to Tuesday which is another big one.

“It’s just about winning the next game. This week is chip paper tomorrow. We know Charlton are one of our competitors so it should be a good game.

“It was commiserations three games ago, it was ‘we have no chance of getting in the top six’. I try to stay level-headed, find focus. We had a big week but I won’t shout from the rooftops the same as I wasn’t jumping off a cliff a week ago. It’s a big three points and I was really pleased to get three points in front of our home fans but we move on.”

Clarke confirmed Neil Farrugia, who missed the game, is injured but there were no more details, or on Stephen Humphrys and Georgie Gent who came off in the second half. Corey O’Keeffe was taken off at half-time having been booked.

Striker Watters added: “We would like the game to be easier after we went to 4-1 but sometimes you have to work hard for the win. At 4-1 we have to do better to not concede goals. At the end of the day it’s three points on the board so that’s a positive for everyone.”