Barnsley RUFC coach Mark Smith wants his side to win all six of their remaining Yorkshire League One games this season and still believes they can stay up despite being in last place and nine points from safety.
On Saturday, the Shaw Laners scored five tries at Huddersfield YMCA who are second in Yorkshire Division One but conceded six and lost 42-30. This gave Barnsley a bonus point but Knottingley picked up two bonus points despite a loss at Ilkely and moved off the bottom and ahead of the town team. Old Brodleians won 21-20 at Heath and are now nine points clear of Barnsley.
The Shaw Laners desperately need to win at home to Heath tomorrow and Smith says every game is a ‘must win’.
“I am still really confident that we can stay up,” said Smith. “In the last three games we have played the top three teams in the league and now we have teams that are a little bit lower.
“We played well at Huddersfield but that doesn’t matter. We just need wins. Scoring five tries doesn’t feel so clever if you concede six. We will keep fighting until it is mathematically certain that we are up or down.
"For the last six seasons we have finished in a better position than the season before so to get relegated would be a real backward step. We have players who have left since last season and players who have been injured but that happens at every club. It’s no excuse.”
