Gerhard Struber was delighted with a second successive win and clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Conor Chaplin’s second half strike secured a second successive win after a 3-0 victory at Fulham the previous week.
Head coach Struber said: “I am very happy. We have the clean sheet and also we scored to get the next very very important victory. We create a very very important performance together. In every single action and duel, I had the feeling that we are the winner.
"The attitude and the energy was amazing. I am very proud of my team. I hope we can bring this energy in the next few weeks then it will be very difficult for all our opponents.”
The Reds are now off the bottom of the table and have cut the gap to safety from six points to five.
Struber said: “Two clean sheets in a row and six points gives us a very good feeling. The atmosphere in the dressing room was always OK, but right now it is top. After Birmingham (a 1-0 loss in the previous home game) it was very very difficult for everyone but we stayed together, we worked hard and we believed.
"Right now, we show our fans a very good performance and the performance was very important for our fans. The atmosphere in the stadium and the support from our fans was brilliant. Right now it is a very good situation.”
On Chaplin, who got his tenth league goal of the season after one in his last ten, Struber said: “Conor is a top player for us. He scored, he works hard against the ball. He helped to bring the opponents’ mentality down, along with Browny (Jacob Brown) who was very very good off the ball. The whole team worked very well today after a brilliant training week.”
Barnsley changed to a 3-4-1-2 formation with Jordan Williams playing as one of the three centre-backs. Struber said: “My three centre-backs created a special performance. Our defensive style today was the key to us winning against a very good team. Assombalonga and Fletcher, in the whole league, are two strikers have very very big quality. But my three centre-backs gave them no chances.
“I knew it was the right time for another formation against this opponent, we had a full week in training. I am very happy that this style and formation brings us the win.
“We knew the situation Middlesbrough are in and that if we give them no space and time, maybe the mistakes are coming. We worked very hard for this.”
Defender Michael Sollbauer said: “All the games are really important in our situation, but especially this one after a great result against Fulham. We worked really hard, everyone fought for the team and we kept a clean sheet. Chaps scored, he took three shots but it’s OK.
“It was not a spectacular game. We should have scored in the first half because we played well until 20 metres before the goal. But we stayed patient which was really important and we said at half-time we have to believe we can score until minute 94. It was as a good performance and result.
“We can celebrate this evening a little bit but then tomorrow we will focus on our next game at Hull. If I could, I would play that game tomorrow because there is a really good feeling around the team now.”
