BARNSLEY Woolley Miners’ relegation woes deepened as they suffered an eighth straight defeat and fell to the bottom of the Yorkshire Premier South table.

The loss to fellow strugglers Wickersley left the Shaw Laners 14 points off safety with three games to play.

They could potentially be relegated this weekend if they lose at home to mid-table Tickhill and both Wickersley and Hallam win.

But a poor weather forecast means there could be a wash-out and they may go into the final two games against top four sides Wakefield Thornes and Whitley Hall needing two victories.

Captain Boeta Beukes said: “It’s the crucial part of the season now.

“We have tough games but who is to say we can’t win them?

“We’ve already beaten Wakefield Thornes this season.

“We’ll need to win at least two with some bonus points which is a big ask.”

The Shaw Laners have fielded a very young team this season, with overseas South African Sean Whitehead leaving earlier this month while UAE international Jash Gyanani had to move away for work.

Whitehead had made the most runs and taken the most wickets for Barnsley in the league this season while Gyanani was in the top five for both.

Beukes said: “We keep having chats about it.

“We all know where we keep going wrong.

“There is a lot of inexperience at the moment.

“We’re missing two massive players in Jash and Sean.

“We said it was a rebuild season.

“It’s not going to benefit us much in the short-term but hopefully, in three to five years, we have all matured into better players.”

In their match against Tickhill, Barnsley are expected to field their first all-amateur team for 40 years since Peter Heseltine, who went on to play for Sussex and Durham, captained his hometown club.

Beukes said:“They have all come through the system and a lot from being really young.

“We’re up against Tickhill who have spent a lot of money on their team so it will be hard.”