Robins Looks To Bag Bragging Rights

Barnsley boss Mark Robins is all set for a ‘blood and thunder’ encounter against the Owls tomorrow, and he’s desperate to ensure the Tykes grab the bragging rights with three points.

Robins spent seven months as an Owl during the club’s spell in League 1, and he knows all too well the desire and passion of both sets of supporters going into the South Yorkshire derby.

He’s preparing his side for what he describes as a ‘slightly different’ clash at the weekend, but hopes to bag the Reds’ first victory of 2010 against Wednesday.

‘A local derby is always slightly different to every other game because there our bragging rights at stake for our supporters,’ he told the official Barnsley website.

‘They will have to go to work with Sheffield Wednesday fans and will want the bragging rights on Monday morning.

‘It is all about what we do. It is all about overcoming their threats and earning the right to play our football. It is an important game for us because we need three points to overcome the team above us in the table. We have to move further up the league and each game is another opportunity to do that’.

Robins has certainly rejuvinated Barnsley since his appointment last year, and the Reds will take the favourites tag into the clash at Oakwell.

But that doesn’t mean Robins will be taking the contest lightly, revealing that he’s well aware of the potential threat of the Owls, despite going 12 games without a win.

Said Robins: ‘Sheffield Wednesday are a good team with some excellent individual players who have experience of derby matches. I am sure it will be played like a cup tie with a very high tempo and any neutral here on Saturday will be impressed with what they see.

‘It will be a real blood and thunder game and it is my first derby encounter with Sheffield Wednesday. It is one we are looking forward to and we have to make sure that we go out there and replicate our supporters’ desire to win this fixture. I am sure the atmosphere in Oakwell will be electric.’