Paul Heckingbottom says a win in front of a huge crowd against local rivals Sheffield Wednesday would reignite Barnsley's season.
Tomorrow's 12.30pm kick-off could draw the biggest crowd of the season so far with an estimated 18,000 tickets bought as of yesterday. The sixth-placed Owls are 11 points and five places clear of their near neighbours Barnsley.
Reds head coach Heckingbottom told the Chronicle: "A win in this game would be a massive boost for us going into the rest of the season. It is a one-off game for us. If we were in Wednesday's position, we would be looking at the bigger picture and the final league position. "But we're not in that position so this is a massive one-off game for us.
"The atmosphere will be great. I would like to think it will be our biggest crowd of the season and it deserves to be. We're playing against a team who have spent a lot of money and are fighting for the play-offs. I think it will be really good game with lots of incidents and lots of good football."
He added: "This is the one. There are a few local rivals in this league but this is the one that most Barnsley fans look for. Wednesday will fill the away end and we will bring a lot of fans. We have to use that atmosphere to our advantage. We have to make sure it is as lively and as high-tempo and energetic as possible. I feel better when it's a game like that. I enjoy it more, and our players do."
Heckingbottom played 47 games for Wednesday, scoring six goals, between 2004 and 2006 when he left for hometown club Barnsley whom he helped to promotion in the League One play-off final – 12 months after doing the same with the Owls. He will not be the only person facing their former club. Sam Winnall, who made the controversial £500,000 move from Oakwell to Hillsborough in January, has scored just once for his new club in eight starts and three substitute appearances. The 26-year-old hit 48 goals for the Reds and is still their top-scorer this season with 11 despite being sold two months ago.
Heckingbottom said: "I would have thought Sam will start against his old club. There's not too much he can do that we don't know about. There will probably be a fiery reception for him from our fans.
"Personally, I was disappointed that he moved but the club accepted the money and Sam wanted to go so there wasn't too much I could do about it."
Winnall multiplied his wages several times over with the move across South Yorkshire, demonstrating the difference in budgets between the local rivals. Heckingbottom said: "There is a gulf in money between the clubs but there won't be any money rolling about on the pitch. It will just be 11 against 11. We know they are good side but we will be prepared for them and we have to impose ourselves on them because we have good players too."
Barnsley have not won in five home matches since they last hosted another of their bitter Yorkshire rivals and gained a 3-2 win over Leeds United on Sky Sports on January 21. The Reds have conceded the most home goals of any side in the division with 30 and are on a run of one win in ten games overall.
Since losing three successive games at Oakwell around the turn of the century, Wednesday have won three, drawn four and lost just one at Barnsley while keeping four clean sheets.
Barnsley lost 2-0 to Carlos Carvalhal's men at Hillsborough in December with Angus MacDonald's own goal opening the scoring before Adam Hammill was sent off, after the referee had initially appeared to dismiss home scorer Sam Hutchinson. Heckingbottom was then sent to the stands along with Owls coach Lee Bullen after the former Wednesday team-mates clashed.
For the return fixture, both sides have injury concerns. Fernando Forestieri, Wednesday's top-scorer, is a doubt along with fellow forward Gary Hooper. Midfielders Hutchinson and Ross Wallace have also been injured but are expected to return to the side.
Barnsley have a crisis at full-back with Callum Elder and Callum Evans struggling with thigh and hamstring problems respectively while Gethin Jones has been suffering with illness and Aidy White is a long-term injury absentee. If none of them recover in time for tomorrow's match, then the only senior full-backs options will be regular Andy Yiadom and loanee Saidy Janko who has just returned from injury and is yet to start a match for the Reds.
