Neal Bishop admitted that it was disappointing to lose a tight affair with Barnsley on Tuesday, with the team captain comparing the game to the loss a few weeks ago against Oldham.
Talking to The Iron Player, Bishop shared that at half-time the team had a chat and agreed that at least a clean sheet from the game would be a good result given the circumstances of the match, but bemoaned the inability to put the ball in the back of the other net as to a reason why they couldn’t take the advantage.Bishop told us: “I thought we came out and had the better chances for the first 25 minutes, and then we seemed to stop doing those things that were needed to create chances.
“We went a bit flat, and we spoke about it at half time that the minimum we wanted from that game was a clean-sheet.
“We didn’t want to do the same thing we did against Oldham. If we are not at it or aren’t taking our chances then we get out of here with a point, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.
“We’ve let them in with probably their only shot on target in the second half which is massively disappointing, and having had their man sent off they were able to just camp themselves around the edge of the box, and we needed to be a bit cuter and a bit better with the way we went about things rather than playing hoof ball for them to clear.”
A single goal from Josh Scowen six minutes in to the second half earned the Tykes all three points, but Bishop refuses to believe they were beaten by a better side.
Bishop added: “It’s very disappointing to not have scored in two games, it’s very unlike us. We are normally clinical and ruthless and with the lads in the team we are usually good for aa goal or two.
“The goals will come, the pleasing thing is we are getting in to good positions to have them chances, with nick either way today with some of our shots, and the ‘keeper saving mine at the end the difference.
“The back-to-back defeats are a wake-up call, and we need to start to get realistic and forget play-offs and first and foremost concentrate on getting to 50-52 points first.”
Bishop received his 10th yellow card of the season during the derby game meaning he automatically picks up a two-match ban, meaning he’ll miss the Yeovil and Fleetwood games over the next seven days.
Bishop was understandably devastated, and he had this to say on the situation.
“Personally I’m gutted especially coming off the back of back-to-back defeats,” he said.
“Coming off the pitch all you want to do is get back on it and rectify this result and the one at Preston, obviously I haven’t got that opportunity now and unable to help the team on Saturday, but on the flip side it gives the chance for someone else to come in and stake their claim for a place in the team.”
With club captain Sam Slocombe out injured and now match day captain Bishop suspended, there is some clarification going to be needed later in the week about who pulls on the captain’s armband going in to Saturday’s game, but the experienced midfielder believes there is more than enough strong voices in the dressing room to guide the team through the next two fixtures.
Bishop said on whether there were enough leaders amongst the rest of the squad: “Massively.
“You’ve got Luke Daniels, Isaiah Osbourne and even Liam O’Neil coming in on loan. Niall Canavan and Andrew Boyce are also big presences so sometimes a lot is made of captain’s armband and it really shouldn’t be.
“You don’t have to an armband on to lead, and I’m sure whoever wears it will step up to the plate but it’s up to everyone else to pull together.”
With bottom of the league Yeovil the visitors at the weekend, Bishop knows as well as anyone that the table can often lie, and he believes the side will need to be at their very best to avoid an upset against a side fighting for their League One lives.
Bishop rounded off saying: “The last time we played them they had a lot of players who were there when they were in the Championship just last season, so they do have quality but they are in the same situation as we were at the start of the season.
“They’ve got a new manager and a few new players in on loan which will give them a boost, and we need to be bang at it.
“We’ve pulled ourselves out of the bottom and the last thing we want is to be looking over our shoulders again, but a positive result on Saturday and we’ll be pushing towards that top 10 or 12 again.”