Barnsley are targeting nine points from three matches against clubs currently in League One’s top ten which would keep them firmly in the promotion hunt.
The Reds are currently fourth with 31 points from 16 matches so far, seven behind leaders Portsmouth who have played a game more.
They visit seventh-placed Accrington Stanley tomorrow before hosting tenth-placed Doncaster Rovers in a local derby on November 24 then travelling three days later to Sunderland who are currently in the second automatic promotion place, four points clear of Barnsley.
Head coach Daniel Stendel told the Chronicle: “I will enjoy these games. They are important for us. I think we are a very good team and we can win all three games.”
Stendel’s assistant Andreas Winkler added: “The last league match was very important because it brought us near the top for a couple of weeks.
“Every game is important but we just need to show our best performance or as close as we can get to it. Every match is a fight, it doesn’t matter if you play against Bradford, Accrington or Sunderland.”
Tomorrow’s match at the Crown Ground in Accrington will be a return to league action after three cup games and the Reds’ first away fixture in 25 days. Their most recent away games saw them lose 2-0 at Charlton Athletic on Saturday, October 20 then go down 3-1 at Shrewsbury Town three days later.
Since then they have played five successive games at Oakwell, winning them all and letting in just two goals. Two 1-0 League One victories over Bristol Rovers and Southend United were followed by successes in the Checkatrade Trophy against Everton under 21s and Bradford City either side of the 4-0 FA Cup first round thrashing of Notts County on Saturday.
Stendel said: “It has been a good run. I like playing at Oakwell. We needed new self confidence after losing our last two away matches and these five home games have given us that. We are a different team now and we have a lot more options for the first team and new power to go into the next games in the league.”
Winkler added: “The most important period is after you lose because you see how the lads handle the situation. They handled it brilliantly and we are on a good run.
“Before our two losses, we had a good away record so we want to get back to that. “We are very delighted that the squad came back after the two losses.”
A sixth successive win tomorrow would mean the Reds are on their longest winning run since the 2015/16 promotion season when they recorded seven successive wins.
Victory in Accrington would also be Barnsley’s tenth of the league season and would mean they have won more league games in their first 17 this season than in the whole of the 46-game Championship campaign last season which saw them relegated.
They are currently unbeaten in their last 15 home games stretching back nine months to after Millwall’s 2-0 win at Oakwell on March 17.
They have surpassed the 14-match sequence under Simon Davey in the 2007/08 season while they are now on the best run since Andy Ritchie’s side did not lose at Oakwell for 19 games on their way to promotion from League One in 2005/06.
