Daniel Stendel: Result more important than performance for Barnsley

Posted Sunday, January 27, 2019 by PA

Barnsley head coach Daniel Stendel talked up the importance of his side’s 2-1 win over struggling Rochdale.

Second-half goals from Kieffer Moore and Cauley Woodrow ensured the Reds came from behind at Oakwell after Ian Henderson gave Dale the lead.

The win moved the Tykes up to third in the League One table, just two points off the automatic-promotion places.

Stendel, who lost assistant head coach Andreas Winkler to Huddersfield earlier this week, said: “Today was not our best game but it was an important win.

“When you look at the table, the important thing was the three points and that is the main point for me today.

“I think that the mentality was good from every player on the pitch today, but when there’s a lack of concentration it is not too easy against a team like Rochdale at the bottom of the table.

“We wanted to win the game so we did well to turn the game around. Normally when we win, we take the lead so it was an important experience for the players [to come from behind].”

Stendel also praised the impact of goalscorers Woodrow and Moore, who netted their 16th and 10th goals of the campaign respectively.

“The two goals from Cauley and Kieffer was the type of quality we need, especially today when we didn’t play well,” the German said.

Rochdale boss Keith Hill, a former Barnsley manager, could not fault his relegation-threatened side’s effort.

He said: “There’s no luck in football, you either win or lose.

“I thought the performance levels were decent and we took one of the best sides in the league all the way, they had to work hard for it.

“I’m disappointed with the result but not with the performance because I believe that we’re turning the corner into being a better side, which will give us a better chance of surviving relegation.

“The first half was like the opening rounds of a boxing match, so it was good for us to be competitive.

“Barnsley are going to do what they’ve done to us today on a regular basis in League One because they’re a very good side.

“The position we’re in is precarious, our league status is under threat so I will have to go with good characters more than talented players. That will hopefully give us the results we need for the rest of the season.”