Lee Johnson says tomorrow's hosts Doncaster Rovers are low on confidence but still expects a difficult test in their first South Yorkshire derby of the season.

Barnsley are three points off the top six, with a game in hand, after picking up 14 points from nine matches, the most they have collected at this stage of a season since the 2007/08 campaign. Donny are in 22nd place after taking eight points from their ten matches so far while no League One side has fewer wins or goals.

Head coach Johnson said: "Obviously they are a little low on confidence because of their league position. "But I went to see them on Tuesday (a 2-2 draw at home to Swindon) and I thought they were very good.  They have got a lot of big and experienced players and have spent a bit of money in the summer. Richie Wellens, Rob Jones, Harry Forrester and James Coppinger are quality players. I have a lot of admiration for their team. They will be dangerous and, if we are not at our best, we will lose. But they have got weaknesses and we have to make sure we exploit those weaknesses early on.

"You have to respect every team because they can all get a good 11 out, especially at this point in the season. That makes the league really tight.  I will be surprised if there are more than 15 or 18 points between the relegation zone and the play-offs this season."

The game at Doncaster starts a run of October fixtures which includes games against five of the current bottom six. Johnson admits his side could be on the cusp of a run that makes them serious promotion contenders but says he will not get carried away by individual results like he believes some supporters do.

"We have got to the point where everyone believes we have a decent squad. The cherry on the top now is just to go on a good run and we are close to that. What I am finding difficult at this club is that the expectations are inflated very quickly after a win and we are called useless after we lose. We just need to find that even keel.

"We have a genuine belief that we are heading in the right direction and we've started to prove that with seven points from our last three games."

The Reds – who are expected to be backed by several thousand fans tomorrow – have not won any of their last five games against Doncaster, including three trips to the Keepmoat Stadium. Johnson said: "We haven't won there in quite a while so that is a marker for our players to turn that around and be heroes, at least for the weekend.

"I will mention in my team talk that it hasn't gone well against Doncaster in the past but that they can be the ones to change that. I want it to be us in the ascendancy against them when we go back there and have them thinking Barnsley are their bogey team.

"We are taking quite a few fans there and we want to do them proud."

Rovers came down with Barnsley two seasons ago and finished one point behind the Reds last season. Manager Paul Dickov was sacked after one win from the first six league matches of this season and is yet to be replaced by a new permanent manager. Barnsley legend Neil Redfearn had been the favourite for the job but there is no announcement expected before tomorrow's derby. Player-caretaker Rob Jones has collected two points from his four games in charge. He would have recorded his first win on Tuesday if it had not been for Swindon's last-minute equaliser.

The derby is the first of three games in a week with a visit to another Yorkshire side Bradford City in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Tuesday followed by a game at home to Crewe Alexandra, who are currently last. Johnson says that, in order to cope with that busy schedule, he will have to make full use of his squad.

"We have got three games that are equally important for different reasons, including two Yorkshire derbies. "We want to come out of that run with a good points tally and a cup win. We need to make sure that we are right up for all of those games and we will pick the players who suit the opposition. We got 90 minutes into Conor Wilkinson, big Smudger (Michael Smith) and Marc Roberts for the under 21s on Monday. We have got the luxury at the moment of having a fully fit squad, or very nearly, with people champing at the bit to get in the side."