Barnsley having their play-off destiny in their own hands is more than Paul Heckingbottom could have hoped for.
The caretaker head coach has stressed for weeks that he wanted to take his side to Wigan Athletic on the final day of the season with the Reds still in the mix for the end of season play-offs. A point at Sheffield United and Gillingham's surprise defeat against Shrewsbury Town last Saturday has left Barnsley in a more commanding position – knowing they only have to rely on themselves.
Heckingbottom said: "Our first target was to be in the mix come the last game of the season and we've done that now regardless of what happens Saturday. Depending on our result we can be going into the final game in a much stronger position and that is the new aim. "Our aim has changed from being in the mix in the final game to being in the strongest possible position. It does change things a little bit because not all the teams are going to win both games because some of them are playing each other."
Heckingbottom refused to get too excited about the possibility of their place being secured this weekend with a win for Barnsley and defeats for the chasing pack of seventh and eighth-placed Gillingham and Scunthorpe United. Last weekend's rivals Sheffield United, who are ninth, are not altogether out of the chase but would need two wins and slip ups in both of the remaining games from the teams above them. Heckingbottom does admit that defeats for the Gills and Scunny, as well as a Barnsley win, would be the perfect outcome this weekend and would relieve the pressure of going to the likely league champions Wigan needing a result on the final day.
He added: "It would be one 100 percent the dream scenario but that is a dangerous mindset. If it's done, it's done but we can't start thinking that we have got three points against Colchester and hoping other teams are going to do it for us. It's about us focusing on Colchester and, whatever the result is, then going to Wigan in a strong position."
Even if Barnsley need just a draw at Wigan next week, Heckingbottom says they will be going to claim all three. He said: "Come the final game, a point might be good enough and get us to where we want to be but our mindset is to win the game. We will be trying everything we can with the same quality and patience to get the win."
Heckingbottom says he has toyed with the idea of resting players ahead of the play-offs with the likes of skipper Conor Hourihane and Alfie Mawson passing 50 games for Barnsley this season. He will continue to monitor the data produced by staff at the club with regards to their fitness but says it is a tough one to manage. He added: "I've thought about resting players but I honestly don't know if we'd do that because we want to keep getting better and you get better by playing with each other. If there are little markers that come up that someone needs a rest or is carrying an injury then we would be stupid not to do things like that. But, if we could, we'd keep the same team together."
Similarly, Heckingbottom says he will be listening to results elsewhere to see what he might need to do tactically. He said: "That is definitely something for the last game. You have to be aware of it. Come the final game an extra point might be good enough. Our mindset will always be to win the game but we won't be going gung-ho."
