CONOR Hourihane wants his Barnsley team to match Bolton Wanderers’ hunger and motivation when they host the promotion-chasers from 3pm on Saturday.
The Trotters are seventh in the table, two points and one place outside the play-off places.
They sacked Ian Evatt – who had taken them to the play-offs in the two previous seasons – in January when ninth and replaced him with Steven Schumacher, the former Plymouth and Stoke boss.
Schumacher won five of his first six games, with the other a draw at high-flying Wrexham, but then lost three in a row to Bristol Rovers, Stockport and Blackpool.
They then won 1-0 at near neighbours Wigan last week before winning 1-0 at home to Bristol Rovers on Saturday and losing by that scoreline at home to Rotherham United on Tuesday – so they will have had less time to recover and prepare for the game at Oakwell.
The midweek result saw them fall out of the top six and be overtaken by Reading.
Hourihane told the Chronicle: “They have something to fight for and will bring a big following which will bring an energy and buzz.
“I think we will react to that a little bit better than maybe previous games when there weren’t many away fans and it’s a little bit quieter at Oakwell. Then the energy levels will take care of themselves.
“We have to match their intensity.
“We will have a good gameplan, the lads will have clarity, in an out of possession will be key, and hopefully we will get the result that we are all looking for.”
Hourihane added: “Bolton are a really good footballing side.
“I was at the game on Tuesday and they did really well.
“They have a really good squad and keep bringing people off the bench like (Kyle) Dempsey and (Joel) Randall who would walk into many teams in this league.
“We have to be really good out of possession and that is what I am telling the players.
“They have a young manager I like and admire who has done some good things already in the game.
“It’s another difficult one but we will attack it in the right way.”
Barnsley have taken 22 points from 20 home games this season, the 19th best record in the division.
They could complete their first double against Bolton since the 1982/83 season, having scored two late goals to win 2-1 in Lancashire on Boxing Day through Davis Keillor-Dunn and Adam Phillips.
That was the Reds’ first league victory over the Trotters in 17 attempts.
Bolton have not lost in eight league games at Oakwell since losing in the Premier League in 1997.
The two teams met in the play-offs in the two previous seasons – with Barnsley then Bolton winning before losing the play-off final at Wembley.
Last May, the Trotters won 3-1 at Oakwell before the Reds won the away leg but lost 5-4 on aggregate.
The clubs have met 52 times, with Barnsley winning 16 and losing 19.
While Victor Adeboyejo is out for the season with a knee injury, another former Reds striker John McAtee is Bolton’s joint top-scorer with 11 goals.
Reds captain Luca Connell came through the Bolton academy while Josh Earl had a brief loan spell with them.
