JACK Shepherd is hoping for more clean sheets for Barnsley and more goals for him personally as he enters the busy Christmas period.
The Reds have kept just two clean sheets so far this season, with several poor goals conceded in recent games.
Shepherd told the Chronicle: “As a defender, you want clean sheets every game.
“We’re playing well as a team and defending well for most parts of the game, it’s the little details that are letting us down.
“We have talked about the sloppy goals, lads have said what the problems were with them. Hopefully we will keep a clean sheet at Exeter.
“We just need to stay confident and stick to our gameplan no matter what.
“We came in at half-time on Saturday losing 2-1 (to Leyton Orient) after we thought we’d had a good first half an hour.
“The gaffer just said ‘do what we do, we win the game.’
“We did exactly that and won. If we do that every week, there is no one we should fear in this league.”
Shepherd is yet to score for the Reds in 36 appearances.
“It’s something I have been working on. At set pieces, with my height.
“I am always going to be some form of a threat.
“It’s good when you are clearing off the line or making a tackle but it’s definitely something I want to add to my game, chipping in at the other end.”
Shepherd is in his third season as a professional after joining Barnsley from non-league Pontefract Collieries and quitting his job as a kitchen-fitter.
“Everyone who plays football at a young age dreams of becoming a professional. But now it’s about not passing up the opportunity.
“It’s not a long career. It’s about enjoying it while you’re in it and working hard.
“I have come into it later than most people do.
“For me, it’s just about working hard and making up for the lost years.”
Shepherd is only 24 but years older than several of his fellow starters.
“I get leadership from the more experienced lads but everyone has their own leadership qualities.
“As a defender you need to be a leader because you see everything.
“I like to think I’m good at that and I want to add more to my game.
“We have some really good young players in the team.”
Barnsley have been passing out from the back in recent weeks, with Shepherd one of the main parts of that.
“There is less playing out from the back in non-league but it’s something I wanted to add to my game. I enjoy being on the ball and looking for the passes, looking to break lines. It’s the style of play we’ve got at the minute.”
