NEWLY-INSTALLED Barnsley boss Conor Hourihane said he will be looking for better from his players after his first game in charge ended in defeat at Mansfield Town.
Barnsley sacked boss Darrell Clarke in midweek leaving the former Reds’ captain take charge for the team’s trip to Field Mill.
But it was Nigel Clough’s Stags who emerged smiling, ending their winless run of 14 games thanks to an early goal from Caylan Vickers and a late strike from Deji Oshilaja.
It leaves the Reds’ already-fading play-off hopes hanging by a thread, nine points off Huddersfield Town in the sixth and final play-off place with just nine games remaining.
“I get the fans’ frustration – the manager has gone in the week and I was asked to take over,” said Hourihane.
“My reception from those fans before the game today was brilliant – I have a close connection with them and I really wanted to get a result for them to get that buzz at the end as well, but it wasn’t to be.
“But we will be back in on Monday and we have to go again and try to improve on this next weekend with a better performance.
“The reaction around the building and the players’ application in training the last two days has been first class.
HOTSEAT: Conor Hourihane got off to a losing start as Barnsley boss at Mansfield Town on Saturday. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe.HOTSEAT: Conor Hourihane got off to a losing start as Barnsley boss at Mansfield Town on Saturday. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe.
HOTSEAT: Conor Hourihane got off to a losing start as Barnsley boss at Mansfield Town on Saturday. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe.
“If I am honest it was a really poor game – I didn’t think there was any quality throughout.
“It was a game of do the ugly stuff, do the basics and try to build off a foundation. But we never really got to grips with it.”
After Christy Pym had made a crucial early double save, the Stags swept ahead on 11 minutes when Vickers poked home off the post from close range from Baily Cargill’s low cross.
But a neat move from left to right on 54 minutes saw Max Watters and Davis Keillor-Dunn set up Josh Benson in space to beat Pym at his near post with a powerful finish.
Just as the game looked set to end all square, Lucas Akins turned a long Stephen McLaughlin cross inside from the right and Oshilaja was on hand to drill in the winner from seven yards.
Mansfield Town: Pym, Bowery, Cargill (Rhodes 46), Oshilaja, McLaughlin, Reed, Akins, Boateng (Lewis 74), Baccus (Flint 90), Vickers (Waine 83), W Evans. Unused substitutes: Flinders, Kilgour, S Quinn.
Barnsley: Smith (Flavell 14), de Gevigney, Roberts (Barratt 46), McCarthy, Benson (Farrugia 83), Phillips, Connell, Russell (Lewis 90), O'Keeffe, Keillor-Dunn, Humphrys (Watters 46). Unused substitutes: Lembikisa,Nwakali.
Referee: Tom Reeves (Birmingham).